Trinity:Family,Love,and Scandal
by scrappy12
Summary: Triquel to FTB.Dan and Blair take on the real world, but find growing up is inevitable. While they each navigate seperate paths, Dan and Blair fight to stay connected in each other's lives to keep their love alive. Features Multi-Arc storylines.
1. Reversals of Fortune

**Author's Note: Hey everyone. I'm back again with my third installment of the Season Three Remix of Gossip Girl with a DAIR twist. I hope you've all been enjoying the Dair goodness we've been receiving on the show. So for the new readers and my loyal readers I'll give you a brief update of the drama that's all ready ensued from the last story, Second Time Around, since this is a sequel to From the Beginning. Hope you enjoy the story, and buckle up for a bumpy ride. **

**A Brief catch up from Second Time Around:**

**DAIR- Dan and Blair finally got together. They had their usual couple moments along with weathering a relationship in a Senior Year of high school and the death of his mother. Dan attempted to apply to Dartmouth, but Carter prevented that from happening by trying to make quick cash, which has ultimately caused a major fall out between the two. Dan then set his sights on trying to get into Yale to be with Blair, but he ended up injury his leg and he could only go to Yale on a soccer scholarship, which ultimately cancelled out his option to go to Yale. Bart Bass ended up getting Dan accepted into NYU at the last minute because Bart is Dan's legal guardian, which was Dan's mother wishes in her will. Blair went away to Yale and Dair are attempting to have a long distance relationship.**

**Other Characters-**

**Chuck redeemed himself in Jenny's eyes. Chuck and Carter ended up becoming business partners as they own Victrola together, that was until Carter revealed that a local crime lord had been giving Carter money for the business. Chuck developed feelings for Jenny as he helped her deal with her rape, which lead to a triangle between Jenny/Eric/Chuck. Chuck learned his mother was in London for the summer, so he ended up asking Jenny to go away with him.**

**Carter picked up a nasty gambling problem that caused him to get caught up with Dominic Nicks and Nikki Nicks, local crime bosses, in order to get funding for Victrola, which he owns with Chuck. Carter ended up falling for Dominic's step daughter, Vanessa Abrams, which was a big no no. Dominic found out and to scare the living crap out of Carter, he blew up a car with Chutney inside of it, and has muscled his way into getting money from Victrola on top of what Carter owes him.**

**Serena and Blair were at war with each other, but it was all for show to take down Georgina. Though the two were at odds over Blair's betrayal, Serena and Blair agreed to work at mending their friendship. **

**Serena becomes worried about Nate as his ties to Damien have proven to get linked to some shady people such as a guy named Asher.**

**Eleanor's long lost son, T.W. Adams who is Tyler Waldorf, has come back.**

**SO NOW TO THE STORY...**

* * *

** Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

_** Chapter One- Reversals of Fortune**_

* * *

Grabbing the tray full of napkins from within the supply closet, Dan went through the napkins to make sure that no previously discarded ones had managed to creep in to the pile. Though it seemed like a mundane task, working at Pepe's Taco Shack had brought about a whole new belief in what sanitation meant to the young man. Meeting his level of approval, Dan tucked the tray under his arm before he was quickly torn away from his path by the thumping sounds against the wall. Surveying the area cautiously, Dan had began to realize that it was the ear popping mariachi music coming from outside in the Cantina but appeared to be closer than he imagine. Opening the door to the freezer, Dan was surprised to see that it was Eduardo and the boss's wife go at it in the freezer. Seeing his presence, Eduardo immediately cursed out in Spanish phrases while Dan did all he could to close the freezer door but met much resistance from the creeky door. Hearing the commotion, the boss entered into the freezer room area to see his wife in a compromised position, and in a matter of seconds what was just an accident turned into a screaming match, which was soon going to end in jail time for either Eduardo or the boss. Excusing himself from the mess, Dan made his way out of the supply closet and turned into the hallway. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Dan leaned up against the wall as he privately cursed at himself for taking such a crappy job. Feeling his phone vibrate in his pants, Dan pulled his phone out to see that it was Blair calling.

"Hello" Dan answered as he covered his other ear to drown out the loud mariachi music playing in the back round.

"Hey" Blair replied happily but found that Dan was breaking up on her phone

"Blair!" Dan called out as he tried to walk away from the noise "Blair, can you hear me?" he asked

"Dan!" Blair called out "Dan. Dan. Dan" she repeated as the static sound occurred

"Yeah, Blair. Speak up, I can't hear you" Dan said as he looked on at his phone to see that his bars were dwindling by the minute "I barely get reception…" he began to say

"Dan can you hear me?" Blair asked "Humphrey!" she yelled

"Dammit" Dan cursed at himself as he lost the call once he made his way out towards the alley, in hopes to get better reception, but failed in doing so. Immediately trying to get Blair back on the phone, Dan's phone began to act up once more as it shut on and off without any buttons being pushed. "Seriously!" he declared as the fight that he once escaped had managed to make its way out towards the alley way

"No! don't hurt him" The bosses wife called out hysterically as Eduardo was getting his face bashed in.

"Oh, this is just rich" Dan groaned as he walked over to step in between the two men.

**I used to think that we'd run away**

**Whenever, pretty summer day**

**I remember when you would say**

**"Would be OK, come what may"**

**I never knew you would lie to me**

**Took everything from inside of me**

**Your silhouette in the doorway**

**But before you walk away**

Looking on at the finished product that was her dorm room that she had spent all day putting together, Blair wore a smile from ear to ear as she looked on at her styling expertise. Though she could've done more with the extreme amounts of cash she had for her allowance, Blair felt the early restrictions of what it meant to have a roommate. Blair could've choked herself months ago for buying into the full college experience that included having a roommate, Blair found that she would have to adjust to the changed life style sooner than later. Walking over towards her desk, where it resided on her side of the room, Blair adjusted the picture frame that sat on the desk that held a picture of Dan and her. A smile came to her face as instant feelings of missing her boyfriend had flooded her all at once. Letting out a laugh, Blair remembered having to force Dan into taking that picture so that she could have semblance of being in a relationship. Dan wasn't big on pictures, but he knew that Blair would use any picture of them as her token of love for him. Smiling proudly at the memory of this picture, Blair was soon brought back to reality once she heard the sounds of the door opening. Turning quickly, Blair adjusted her attire as she prayed that her new roommate would be that of someone with the same tastes as her. Wearing her million dollar smile, Blair's smile quickly faded once she saw the chubby, gothic looking girl making her way into the room. Throwing down her locker of what was presumed to be clothes, Blair felt as if she had entered into a prison cell as nothing about this girl screamed fashion, let alone regular sanitary conditions.

"Hi….my name is Blair. Blair Waldorf" Blair said nervously as she forced herself to smile at the atrocity that was her roommate.

"My name is Sid" Sid replied no showing any emotions that would resemble being normal.

"Oh, that's a depressing name" Blair replied trying to appear interested in a moment of awkward silence, Blair began to ponder as to what conversation the two of them could engage in.

**Just say goodbye, look in my eyes**

**So that I always will remember**

**Frozen in time, always be mine**

**Baby boy you'll be young forever**

**I'll be over here, you'll be over there**

**I'ma shed a tear but I really don't care**

**Frozen in time, always be mine**

**Baby boy you'll be young forever**

**[Somewhere in Mexico]**

Feeling the sunlight burn against his skin, Carter's eyes slowly fluttered open to see the broken pieces of glass scattered around him on the floor. The massive hangover from last nights involuntary drinking fest with a few of Dominic's goons, Carter felt like every movement he made that his head was going to explode. Sitting up slowly, Carter became completely unaware of the fact that his hand was pressed up against pieces of the glass that were beside him. Concealing his need to scream out in agony, Carter tended to his bloodied hand before he looked up to see the snarling pit bull growling back at him. Carter's eyes immediately went bug eye with surprise before he quickly jumped up from the floor screaming. Slamming against the door, Carter could hear laughter come from the other side as it was more than apparent that this was all set up for him to wake up to.

**I used to think that we'd reunite**

**I'd be your wife, in the real life**

**I thought that you'd come back for me**

**And you would take me away**

**I never knew only as a teen**

**You'd reappear, only in my dream**

**Your silhouette in the doorway**

**But before you walk away**

**[Loughton, United Kingdom]**

Clenching on tight to her pillow, Jenny was awaken by the glaring sounds of the hotel alarm clock. Her eyes fluttered opened to see to see that it was well into the morning as she looked at the clock, Jenny could only imagine what adventure would be ahead for her today. Rolling over onto her back, Jenny was pleasantly surprised to see Chuck looking back at her with a devilish smile on his face that made her question what she all ready knew as fact. Feeling her body to make sure that she was in fact clothed, Chuck laughed as he revealed his clothing attire that he slept in as well to prove that he too was clothed. Laughing to herself, Jenny found that laughter was something she had seen a lot more of these past two months with Chuck and she wasn't quite sure how she did it, but she was glad that she could make him laugh. Pulling him towards her, Jenny quickly captured her lips with his as he rolled on top of her.

**Just say goodbye, look in my eyes**

**So that I always will remember**

**Frozen in time, always be mine**

**Baby boy you'll be young forever**

**I'll be over here, you'll be over there**

**I'ma shed a tear but I really don't care**

**Frozen in time, always be mine**

**Baby boy you'll be young forever**

Sitting off in the quad area of her school, Serena did her best to keep her focus on her schoolwork, but found the summer sun to be impossible to ignore. I should be at a beach, I should be shopping, I should be going on some bit of adventure, Serena thought to herself as she flipped through yet another countless pages of her book. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Serena looked on at her peers to see them all highly engaged in profound debates or studying for exams, nothing about what she was doing made her feel like she even belonged. Torn from her thoughts by the sound of her cell phone, Serena looked on at the caller identification before she smiled as she desperately needed the distraction of a friendly voice.

"What's the one place we can all come together without the back ground of the city behind us?" Nate asked with a smile from ear to ear as he walked through airport with bags in hand "C'mon, you know you want to say it? Say it, say it, say it" he said trying to coax the blonde into answering him with enthusiasm

"The Hamptons" Serena muttered

"I'm sorry, what did you say? I don't think I heard you, quite right?" Nate asked as he wanted to hear a bit more enthusiasm from her

"The Hamptons!" Serena screamed before all eyes had turned to her as she forgot that she was in the student squad. Hearing Nate's laughter in the back ground only infused how embarrassing this was for her "Sorry" she then said as she began to gather her books.

**You'll always be mine, frozen in time**

**Young forever (young forever)**

* * *

Watching the floor indicator ascend, Dan grew more and more anxious as what he thought would be so simple was turning into a mind war. Since picking up his job at Pepe's, Dan found it easier to avoid the awkward need to request days off for his side job so that he could avoid being at his main job. Dorota had tried her best to persuade Dan into coming back, but Dan felt that the dynamic of what made the penthouse his home away from home had changed. Though he still respected Eleanor for giving him a chance, Dan couldn't help but feel like something made him want space between them. Watching the floor indicator land on the penthouse, Dan took a deep breath before he stepped off the elevator to walk into a quiet penthouse apartment. Looking around to see if Eleanor was stowed away in her office, Dan was relieved to see that she wasn't there, so it'd be easy for him to pick up the items he had left behind in Blair's room. Heading upstairs towards Blair's room, Dan's phone began to ring just as he entered into her room.

"Hello" Dan answered

"Glad we don't have connection problems this time, I was beginning to think that you were avoiding me" Blair said

"Why would I be avoiding you?" Dan asked

"It was just a thrown out idea. Are you at work?" Blair asked

"No. I'm in your room actually" Dan told her

"Really, well if you wanted the whole kink factor in our relationship, you should've just said so. What's striking your fancy? My hidden lingerie or my newly bought Victoria Secret that I had Dorota make room for?" Blair asked as she smiled at the thought of Dan getting off in being in her room.

"It's actually not like that. I came by to pick up my USB….and I can't seem to remember where I put it last in here" Dan said as he looked around the room

"You were being serious? I thought you were going to be kinky, hence the mention of lingerie and Victoria Secret" Blair said as she felt the kinky mode come to a complete halt

"Yes, because USB screams SEX" Dan laughed to himself

"I'd like for it to because it's becoming the Sahara for me. Can't we at least pretend like you've snuck into my room to smell my underwear or something?" Blair asked

"Why? I thought you were okay with how things are? You're at college and I'm here, so sex would kind of be the sacrificial lamb in this scenario" Dan asked

"I'm fine, but I just…I miss sex. I miss sex on the headmaster desk in the closet. I miss you, but I miss the medium sized Humphrey most of all" Blair told him "I thought I'd bond with my peers, but I find them to be Paris Hilton socialites in training" she sighed

"Shouldn't that be up your alley? I mean without the aspiring to be like Paris Hilton" Dan asked

"No, I strive to be a woman of intellectual worth to this society, that's completely different from coining a phrase that is less than two syllables" Blair replied "Don't you miss sex?" she then asked

"Yes, but I'm not going to be the perv that just wants his girlfriend to come back so he can get his kicks" Dan replied

"I want you to get your kicks, I'd like to get my kicks" Blair exclaimed

"Which is all good, but our sex life will be fine until you return on break" Dan told her

"Now that you mention break, I can see two days being an eternity, which ultimately leads me to ask the reminding question of my mother's itinerary. What's her schedule for the Hamptons?" Blair asked

"I don't know" Dan replied

"How do you not know?" Blair questioned "Humphrey, you know every detail about my mother's schedule, especially the time slots where we can have sex…sorry, sex is on the brain" she said

"I know too much detail" Dan muttered to himself

"What'd you say?" Blair asked

"Nothing, I just said there was not much detail. I haven't read anything about the Hamptons" Dan said "Why?" he asked

"Because I got a call from Nate, he's acquiring all of to come for an old fashioned White Party" Blair said

"Because the last White Party was memorable" Dan laughed "Since when do the Archibald's host, I thought Cici does the White Party?" he asked

"Which will be drama number one. Serena has all ready RSVP'd to the party, so Cici will blow a gasket. I guess the whole deal with the Captain is legit for them to host the biggest party in the Hamptons" Blair said "I was hoping that it wouldn't be too late for us to change our plans for a New York reunion to a Hampton reunion. I mean imagine the fun and the privacy we'll have. Our own room at the beach front villa, ocean waves tend to transcend the sexual experience" she said

"You're really on this sex kick, huh?" Dan asked

"Hornier than ever" Blair laughed "So are you game for that? The sex and the Hamptons?" she asked

"I don't know…I have to get things in order because I haven't really set aside the money to do a last minute trip to the Hamptons. I mean it all sounds good, but I kind of want to save up some money this summer" Dan told her unaware of the fact that Eleanor was listening outside of the door to the conversation.

"Save money? Humphrey, Eleanor will frequent the Hamptons this summer. All you have to do is mention our plans and I'm sure she'll have Henry drive you or any means of extravagant transportation" Blair told him

"…okay, let me just figure some things out" Dan sighed as he immediately went into thinking mode on how he'd be able to get out to the Hamptons at the last minute

"Well figure them out quick. I can't wait to see you" Blair said "Are we still on for tonight?" she then asked with a bit of seductive tone

"Blair, really? I thought we were joking on that?" Dan asked

"Pick up at six sharp Humphrey. I'm horny and I need my boyfriend in some capacity, less in case you want me to have a random hook up with some beer keg loving frat boy?" Blair asked

"Fine. Six sharp" Dan sighed before he ended the call. Giving up hope that he'd find the desired USB, Dan turned to leave the room but was caught off guard to see Eleanor making a failed attempt on trying to escape. Realizing that she wasn't nowhere near as stealthy as she strived to be, Eleanor turned to face Dan, finding that it was like seeing him for the first time all over again.

"Daniel, hey" Eleanor smiled

"Hey" Dan replied nervously

"Were you just talking with Blair? I mean I was just walking by and thought I heard her voice" Eleanor asked

"Yes, I was just on the phone with her. She was just telling me about the amended changes to the host of the White Party, apparently new hosts will cause friction between the old host" Dan told her

"Cici lives for the White Party. I don't think she'll let that go without a fight" Eleanor laughed nervously only to find that it wasn't really a pressing topic for Dan "How've you been? I haven't seen you around too much" she then asked after a moment of awkward silence

"Yeah, I actually picked up another job. I wanted to come by to pick up a USB and leave a resignation from my job here. I can't really juggle both, so I just thought I'd let this one go because my other job is more convenient to where I live" Dan reasoned

"That sounds like a well planned out excuse" Eleanor replied "What's the real reason?" she asked after a few moments of silence came between them

"I just told you. There's no other reason" Dan said

"So this wouldn't have to do with you learning about Tyler? Because it's strange that once you learned about him….you started becoming distant. Which is okay because hearing it, it sounds pretty bad that a mother can just abandon…" Eleanor began to say

"I just dealt with that. It's kind of hard to be around it, when I just got finished dealing with the same thing" Dan replied trying to keep his emotions in check

"I was young. Harold and I were both starting out in our careers…" Eleanor began to reason

"You really don't have to explain anything to me because it's none of my business. That's your life, and I have no right to judge" Dan said as he shook his head trying to stop any further revelation on her part

"Then keep your job. If you live by that creed, then there should be no reason why you shouldn't work here" Eleanor told him

"No, I really don't think that'll work. Convenience is important for me right now since it's just me at the loft" Dan said

"…I'm not going to fire you. You can pretty much not show up for months straight, but I will not fire you" Eleanor told him "I know that things are a bit strained, but you'll need this job for school" she said

"Have you even told Blair?" Dan quickly asked as Eleanor froze for a moment "Yeah, it makes it a bit hard to talk to her, when everything back home has changed for her. She'll be coming back to find out that she has a brother" he said "Just answer this, the reason you hired me…it was because of him, wasn't it?" he asked as he looked Eleanor dead in the eyes "It was because I looked like Tyler" he concluded as Eleanor took a moment to access what she should say

"I don't want you to quit. There is much work for you to do, and I….I need you around. You're family" Eleanor said trying to string along words that would make Dan understand, while she did all she could to not cry. Pulling out a check from her pocket, Eleanor unfolded it before she handed it over to him "You're tuition should be coming up, so this should cover while you get caught up on your savings" she said handing the check over towards him.

"I'm not mad, I'm being honest on that. I just don't think I can work for you anymore" Dan replied knowing that his torn feeling about the situation wasn't going to help because Eleanor was all ready in a hell of her own by her past actions. Walking past Eleanor, Dan reached into his pocket to pull out the collection of checks that he had together that were sent over throughout the summer months by carrier "I won't be needing this" he said handing the checks over to Eleanor

"Don't…" Eleanor began to plead with Dan as she sat in shock

"I don't want your money" Dan said as he placed the checks on the dresser before he turned to leave.

* * *

Putting her hair up into a pony tail after she finished getting dressed, Jenny opened the door to see Chuck reading his e-mails. Though the past two months had been filled with adventures for them, Chuck still felt the pressures of trying to make Victrola work since learning of Carter's funding. Chuck had made major strides in opening up to Jenny, but she knew that when it came to the business, Chuck wanted to maintain his man pride by making her think that everything was okay. Walking out of the restroom, Jenny grabbed her phone to see that her dad had called along with a few text messages from Dan. She had kept minimal contact with Dan because she knew he'd be disappointed with her for just running off, while her dad seemed more pressed not to rock the boat with her because he wanted her to return. Sighing in frustration, Jenny hated that she'd have to ultimately deal with the ramifications of her actions, but she was prepared to take it because in the end it was worth it after the summer she had.

"Huh, The Archibalds hosting the White Party" Chuck said as he looked over his e-mail

"Is that a bad thing?" Jenny asked as she laid back on the bed "I'm not privy to all of the inner workings of the Upper Eastside" she smiled

"Cici usually hosts, nothing big. Which means the Hamptons are looking like are final stop, that's if you want it to be?" Chuck asked

"The Hamptons, that sounds interesting. What is that like the ritzy playground of the summer for the Upper Eastsiders?" Jenny asked

"Basically. It's just become tradition, I've gone since I was a kid" Chuck said

"Then I guess we're going to the Hamptons" Jenny smiled as she looked over at his hand once more before a smile cracked on her face. Noticing her looking at his hand, Chuck leaned towards her to give her a kiss before crawling towards her in the spot beside her on the bed. Looking into his eyes, Jenny found a calmness in them that she had felt content in these past couple months "This summer was amazing" she whispered

"It doesn't have to end. We can go to the Hamptons, then tackle another part of the world" Chuck told her as he played with her hand

"If only it was that easy" Jenny smiled

"It's been that way for two months, it doesn't have to change now. I'm serious, I could get access to my trust and we could live off of it" Chuck said

"Just how much exactly do you get? I mean if I would have a trust, it would be like two hundred dollars and some odd change" Jenny joked

"It's enough for the both of us" Chuck told her as he traced the outline of her face

"You didn't even get to see your mom..." Jenny then stated

"That doesn't matter. She made her choice, but I don't want to talk about her. I want to talk about us on a tropical island" Chuck smiled, dodging the question about his mother

"Tropical Island sounds good, but you forget that I have school. Rufus may have allowed for this excursion to happen, but missing school is not an option. Not to mention what we'll have to deal with when it comes to my brother..." Jenny began to say

"I can handle your brother" Chuck reasoned

"Can you? I mean you've hardly got the fighting skills to keep up" Jenny teased

"Oh, really?" Chuck asked as he propped himself on his arm before he began to tickle Jenny, sending her into a fit of laughter.

* * *

Finishing off the rest of his dinner, Dan set his plate in the sink before he poured out what was left in his cup into the sink. Turning to look on at the vacant loft, Dan couldn't help but take a moment to take in the fact that the one place he thought would be his hideaway was the constant reminder of how broken his family really was. Jenny was off halfway across the world with a guy that had put her in danger, while his dad was living out his rocker dream in a local mini bar tour within New York. Though he had his numerous chances to tell his father to stay behind and gripe with him about ways to put the family on track, Dan found that being alone in the city was what was best for his own sanity as nothing made sense to him anymore. Glancing over at the clock, Dan quickly made his way into his room to grab his cell phone for the incoming call by Blair at their assigned time. Taking a deep breath, Dan found that the overall stress that was on his mind stopped him from even thinking about anything sexual with Blair. Just as he began to go down his list of frustrations before his cell phone began to go off.

"Hello" Dan immediately answered as he laid on his bed

"Hello Mr. Humphrey" Blair said in a seductive tone as she made sure to lock the door to her dorm room since her roommate was out at some cult meeting.

"Mr. Humphrey, you make me sound like my father" Dan laughed

"Okay, maybe that was a bit too formal" Blair replied as she hopped on her bed and got comfortable "How was your day?" she asked

"It was eventful as can be. You?" Dan asked

"It was interesting. I'm beginning to think my roommate is some sort of cult follower, no college movie prepares you for the nutcase you're bound to get in college" Blair told him "But since we've covered the small talk, shall we get down to business" she then suggested

"Somehow I knew that was going to come up" Dan replied "I researched a bit about this on Google, so apparently we're supposed to use a lot descriptive words in order to reach the desired effects" he said

"Just think descriptive sex" Blair added

"A la phone sex" Dan quickly concluded

"Should you start? I mean for male reasons" Blair said

"Are you ready?…does it matter what position we're in? I feel like I should be laying down... but what if it's better sitting in a chair or something?" Dan asked

"I don't know, just go with what makes you comfortable" Blair told him as Dan took a moment to access what would make him feel comfortable. Switching the phone over to his other hand, Dan slowly extended his hand down to where they were surpassing his boxers and onto his penis. Trying to see if it felt good, Dan couldn't help but feel even more uncomfortable.

"Okay, now I feel pervy laying down. Hold on" Dan said as he fumbled around trying to get to his chair "Crap!" he then groaned as he stumped his foot on his bed as he attempted to pull his pants down to where he was in his boxers

"Are you okay?" Blair asked hearing the commotion in the back round

"Yeah, I'm good" Dan said nearly out of breath as he took his seat

"Are you ready now?" Blair asked as she prepared herself by spritzing perfume on herself

"Yeah. Yes. I'm ready" Dan said as he did his best to be certain in the moment. "So…what are you wearing?" he asked a bit unsure if that's what he was supposed to ask

"That black negligee you like" Blair answered as she brought her leg up to where it was bent

"Oh…is it lacy?" Dan struggled to ask as he had no idea as to which one he liked of Blair's since they all looked the same to him.

"Yes. It's lacing goes all the way towards the top of my…supple breasts" Blair described as Dan lowered his hand back down to his penis, hoping that his favorite body part of hers would get him aroused. "What are you wearing?" he asked

"Uh…my flannel button down shirt….or should I be wearing nothing up top? You know to give the whole naked feel?" Dan asked

"Seeing as I hate your flannel shirts, I think you being bare chest is much appealing" Blair replied as Dan quickly pulled his hand out of his boxer to undo his shirt "What are you doing now?" she asked

"Taking off my flannel shirt" Dan replied

"No, don't take it off. I'm supposed to descriptively take it off" Blair stated

"But you just said it'd be more appealing if I was bare chest" Dan said

"Humphrey, usually if we were face to face then it'd be appealing to see you bare chest, but we're working on word play. We'll need every bit of foreplay for the build up" Blair told him

"So I have to wait for you to descriptively undress me?….maybe this was a bad idea" Dan questioned

"Humphrey, just give it a try" Blair said "Since you're in a rush to be relieved of you shirt…I kiss your neck, making sure to let each kiss linger as my hands roam over your toned chest. Feverishly, I begin to undo the buttons on your shirt as my body begins to yearn for you" she told him

"And now I take the shirt off?" Dan asked

"Yes, you take the shirt off" Blair replied as he tossed his shirt to the side

"My hands slide down your right leg at approximately two miles per hour…" Dan struggled to describe

"Humphrey, you're not writing a police report. Just say your running your hands down my leg" Blair told him

"Okay, I can't do this" Dan then declared as Blair groaned "I need you physically, I can't describe how I'd want you" he told her

"Well we don't have the physical aspect until a day or two, and I'm…" Blair began to say

"I know, I know. You're horny" Dan replied as he let out a sigh of frustration "The only way to solve this is…we have to go to the Hamptons" he sighed as he logged onto his laptop to check his bank account. Looking over the three hundred dollars he had for spending money on top of the gas and minimal amount of rent that he was to give, Dan realized that the three hundred was going to be stretched. Eyeing the account below that had over two thousand dollars in it, Dan held his stance on not wanting to spend that money that he was going to use on his townhouse that he wanted to rent. If he was going to struggle for the next month, Dan saw it as being worth it as long as he got to be with Blair. "And I'm ordering my ticket now" he sighed.

**Hey there summer boy**

**Im taking off my heels**

**Lets go for a run**

**Have a little summer fun**

**Have a little summer fun**

**Summer boy**

"I want out" Carter pleaded as it took all of him to not act as scared as he was in that moment "I will do anything, but please…I can't live this life. I just want out" he continued to plead his case as Nikki did all he could to avoid eye contact with Carter in this state

"You don't get out in these scenarios. Either you pay your debt or you die, but either way….you'll always be tied to this life" Nikki replied as Carter shook his head in complete horror as he would've given anything to get himself out of the mess he was in.

"I have her blood on my hands. I clean my hands twenty to forty times a day because all I see, all I feel is her blood on my hands" Carter replied somberly

"And that's no one's fault but your own" Nikki told him after a moment of silence had come between them. "Besides, you'll be happy that I'm sending you back to your own turf" he said

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carter asked in a bit of confusion

"Rich kids playground. Parties galore, which means the drug supply will be high in demand. Usually not my area of expertise, but I figured that since you have a desperate need for cash…" Nikki began to tell him

"I get the point" Carter sighed as he opened the door to take in the sight of the Hamptons sandy beaches "Who do I meet?" he asked

"I'll text you" Nikki replied as he closed the door "Carter, have fun. You're back in your stomping ground" he told him as the car slowly pulled off

**Lets get lost you can take me home**

**Somewhere nice we can be alone**

**Bikini tops, popping o-o-off**

**Don't be sad when the sun goes down**

**You'll wake up and Im not around**

**You've got to go oh, oh, oh, oh, oh**

**We'll still have the summer after **

"No drama. That's the motto of this weekend. Friendships, relationships…all working and getting along smoothly. I mean this could be the healing process that's necessary to fix all the problems of a couple of months ago" Jenny declared as Chuck pulled out his bus ticket to check it "What are you doing?" she asked

"I thought we were going to a new location because if we're going to the Hamptons, then you'd understand why that statement would be so false" Chuck quickly replied

"Seriously? The sarcasm. I need you to be optimistic, not Mr. Pessimistic. Is this what I have to look forward to?" Jenny asked

"Are we talking about the Hamptons or…" Chuck began to ask

"The Hamptons. I need a spoiler alert on that" Jenny said as she began to panic

**Lets get lost you can take me home**

**Somewhere nice we can be alone**

**You'll be my summer-summer boy**

Making his way through the airport, Dan looked on at the map to see if he was going to the right terminal. Normally this would've been easy for him to find the terminal, but Dan felt the anxiety of the moment finally seeping in as the smallest things became a task for him to complete. Needing the break of the city, Dan found that he was welcoming the idea of going to Hampton's even more. Since Blair had set up their travel arrangements, Blair had arranged for them to meet up on connecting flights, which only made Dan more anxious to see his girlfriend as he walked through the airport. Passing through the oncoming crowd of people, Dan had to check himself to make sure no part of him had gone off with the sea of people he had to get through. Finally reaching the conclusion that he was in tact, Dan looked up to see the very thing that calmed him. Wearing a smile from ear to ear, Blair dropped her bags before she ran over to Dan to jump into his arms.

**Don't be sad when the sun goes down**

**You'll wake up and Im not around**

**You'll be my summer-summer boy**

Excitedly taking in her new setting, Serena couldn't be happier that she was back in her element of things as opposed to the drab life of studying. College was the next step in her life, but she yearned for a bit of that summer fun before she completely turned her life over to the straight and narrow that she wasn't accustomed to. Coming out of her grandmother's villa, Serena quickly spotted Nate, who had been waiting for her. Dressed in their summer attire, Serena couldn't help but notice how impeccable Nate's fashion had become over the time spent away. Linking arms with him, Serena and Nate were off to soak up the summer sun on the beach.

Just as they made their way towards the garden area, Serena and Nate quickly stopped dead in their tracks as they both looked on in separate directions at the oncoming couples that were coming from different directions.

To Serena's right stood Dan and Blair.

To Nate's left stood Chuck and Jenny.

"Well this is interesting" Jenny laughed nervously as they all looked at each other, unsure of the vibe before Chuck looked over to see Carter walking up with a margarita in hand as he sipped on it.

"Now it just did" Blair said as she looked over towards Carter, who seemed equally as shocked to see them all. Gripping on tight to Dan's hand, Blair looked over to see Dan laughing in disbelief as Carter including Chuck were the last people he wanted to see.

"Did you?…" Jenny quickly turned to ask Chuck in a fit of panic

"I've all ready done so" Chuck said putting her mind at ease "But you might want to relieve yourself" he said giving her a look before she gave a quick tug on the hand.

**And we'll still have the summer after all**

* * *

Making his way inside the building, Tyler still hadn't gotten used to entering the oversized lavish buildings that he had always deemed as the rich people buildings. Being greeted by the security staff, Tyler was more than prepared to show his identification so that he would have clearance to take the elevators, but found a welcoming from the staff as if they knew exactly as to who he was. Boarding the elevator, Tyler took every opportunity he could to take in the sights of what was Eleanor's world while mentally comparing the middle class lifestyle that he grew up in. If there was one thing he learned about Eleanor, it was that she was very successful and respected within the inner circle of the Upper Eastside. Stepping onto the elevator, Tyler nervously played with his hands as he wasn't quite sure of what to expect out of this meeting with Eleanor. Once the doors opened up, Tyler was immediately greeted by the aromas of food being cooked up in the kitchen.

"I didn't know there would be a feast prepared" Tyler replied as he took his coat off to hand to Dorota "I'm sorry, what's your name?" he asked

"Dorota. You'll learn soon enough. Come this way" Dorota smiled as she lead Tyler into the dining area of the room, where Eleanor and Cyrus sat while sipping on their glasses of champagne. Spotting Tyler, Eleanor quickly rose from her seat to put the glass of champagne down.

"Tyler, I had no idea you had made it" Eleanor said as she adjusted her dress

"Dinner was for seven, right?" Tyler asked

"Yes, I believe it was" Eleanor smiled "Please take a seat. Cyrus this is Tyler. Tyler this is Cyrus" she introduced the two

"I've heard much about you" Cyrus smiled "Eleanor tells me that you're a writer" he then stated

"A journalist. I mostly do freelance writing though, but I do have a tendency to stay loyal to certain magazines" Tyler replied

"What would you like to drink?" Dorota asked

"Uh…water would be fine" Tyler replied before she shuffled off into the kitchen to get his glass of water

"So how was your day?" Eleanor asked nervously

"It was eventful to say the least. Reports on the socialites of New York, it's all very bland after a while" Tyler replied as Dorota sat the glass of water down in front of him

"Socialites? Do share on that?" Cyrus asked as he took a sip from his glass of champagne

"Well it's simple, they screw up and I just report" Tyler replied

"That sounds…interesting" Eleanor replied

"Just how much do you know about me?" Tyler asked after a moment of silence came between them all "You know my job, but how much do you really know?…I find cutting to the chase to be refreshing in easing the awkward moments" he asked

"Well…I know that your Eleanor and Harold's son. That's pretty much all I know" Cyrus said

"I haven't really made it a point to tell everyone. I thought it'd be best for us to get to know each other first" Eleanor said

"Harold? Is that my father's name?" Tyler asked

"Yes, his name is Harold" Eleanor told him

"And the rumors true, he's gay?" Tyler asked

"Yes, Harold is gay. He lives in France with his partner, Roman" Eleanor said

"In France. I forget how accessible things are in this world" Tyler said to himself

"Is there anything we should know about you?" Cyrus asked

"Tell us about your adoptive parents?" Eleanor asked as Tyler looked at her skeptically

"I don't think we can jump to that part yet" Tyler reasoned

"I just assumed that you would want to talk about…" Eleanor began to say

"My parents…I'm not ready to talk about that just yet. It's all a bit confusing to know that I have one set of parents, then discover I have another. So can we save that bit of information later" Tyler said

"So there will be a later?…I can be hopeful for that" Eleanor smiled before Tyler's cell phone began to vibrate, causing him to tear his attention away.

"I'm sorry. I have to leave" Tyler said as he got up from the table

"Before you can even eat?" Eleanor asked

"I can't, I've been working on this story for quite some time. I need to upload this story so I can get first dibs on the story" Tyler reasoned

"Well if you need to upload, then you can just use my office" Eleanor reasoned

"Yes, just use the office. Dinner is just about ready" Cyrus said

"Uh…fine. Where is it?" Tyler asked as Cyrus quickly rose from his seat to guide him

"I find the upstairs office to be simple and less confusing than the madhouse of the downstairs one" Cyrus said as they climbed the stairs

"There's two offices. This world is quite confusing" Tyler muttered as he followed behind Cyrus up the stairs.

* * *

Patting a little bit of her perfume onto her body, Blair looked herself over in the mirror once more to make sure she was perfect. Dressed in her black lingerie, Blair was hoping that tonight would be the night she broke her two month celibacy with Dan. Opening the door, Blair made her way into the bedroom to see Dan sitting up in the bed flipping through the television channels aimlessly, trying to find something to watch that have his mind focused on something other than Jenny or Carter. Getting in beside him in the bed, Blair leaned over to take the remote out of his hand so that she could turn the television. Reaching no struggle from Dan, Blair set the remote on the dresser on Dan's side before she began to kiss his neck.

"Can you believe she had the nerve to bring him here? I mean never mind the fact that I only received two sentences worth of texts. She literally thinks she's grown" Dan complained

"Uh huh" Blair replied as she began to stroke his hair, trying to entice him into getting into the mood

"Chuck probably brainwashed or something with his stupid logic. Gaww! I wish I could just punch his face in" Dan groaned

"I completely understand" Blair said as she slid the straps down on her lingerie top before she moved over to straddle Dan

"Then there's Carter. He literally screws me over, and then strolls around acting so casually" Dan continued to say as Blair tugged at the bottom of his tank top "What are you doing?" he then asked before sighed as she sat back

"Trying to screw my boyfriend" Blair exclaimed before Dan folded his arms "Look, I get that this is not an ideal for our end of the summer, but I would think the important thing is that we're here together" she said

"It is. It is" Dan said as he rubbed the side of her arms "But you have to admit…" he began to say

"I don't want to talk about Jenny ….or Carter for that matter. I just want to be with you as in the naked version of you" Blair said as she leaned towards him

"You're right. I'm sorry" Dan said realizing that his focus should've been on Blair instead of on other things that he couldn't control.

"Don't say it, show it" Blair smiled seductively as Dan just laughed to himself while he obliged her wish. Pulling his tank top over his head, Dan tossed it to the side of the bed before he pulled Blair towards him to capture her lips with his. Massaging his tongue against hers, Dan explored the insides of her mouth as he turned his head slightly to deepen the kiss. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Blair gripped on tight as she grinded against him as she let out a slight moan. The intensity of the kiss grew as Blair continued to her grinding patterns against him, deciding to take control like she had wanted, Dan grabbed the back of her head before he rolled on top of her.

_**[….Thirty minutes later]**_

Sitting up in the bed, Blair clenched the comforter to her half naked body as she thought to herself. Over and over in her head, Blair tried to come up with the best possible solution as to where things went south, but found no possible answer as this was something they never had problems in. Realizing that she should probably give him some words of encouragement, Blair got out of the bed and headed over towards the closed bathroom door to find that it was locked. Feeling even worse for him, Blair laid her back up against the door as she wasn't quite sure as to what was going on with Dan for him to be unable in that area.

"It's perfectly normal. Dan, just come out" Blair said as she rested her head up against the door.

"This has never happened to me before!" Dan exclaimed from within restroom

"I know, but that's not what tonight is about. We can do other things" Blair told him

"So you don't want to have sex?" Dan asked as Blair squirmed as she was torn from saying the truth or lying.

"We could cuddle" Blair suggested before Dan groaned loudly in frustration. "Sorry" she called out as she couldn't help but feel for him in his weakening state.

* * *

The next day, Blair sat with folded arms as she listened on to the sounds of the waves crashing, Blair hoped that the soothing sounds would help ease the tension she was feeling as she did her best to disguise her stresses. With her designer shades on and a bikini, Blair laid out on the beach trying to enjoy her W magazine. Coming up with a margarita in hand, Jenny took her seat beside Blair as she sipped on her drink while Serena applied sunscreen to her arms. Reaching over, Blair took the margarita out of Jenny's hand before she quickly drank the icy substance so Jenny would have little to protest against. With a look of confusion on her face, Jenny stared at Blair as Blair remained calm and collected with her shades hiding much of her emotions while Serena just laughed.

"Okay, what was that for?" Jenny asked

"You've all ready messed up my night, I'm not letting you work on the rest of my weekend here" Blair stated

"How did I mess up your night?" Jenny questioned

"In ways I hope that you have yet to experience yet. What's the deal with Chuck and you?" Blair asked "Give me brief points because I fear I may hear about them from your brother" she then said

"Is this really the place or time to discuss?" Jenny asked as she was unsure if she should talk about Chuck with Serena present.

"Right, because you screwed over Eric" Blair said catching on to what Jenny was talking about.

"It's okay. Granted I wish my brother wasn't the victim of you two being whatever you are, but I'm not one to judge since I've done worse" Serena reasoned

"There you go, reasoning and semi understanding" Blair said "Now talk" she then said

"Why are you all pushy?" Jenny asked noticing a forceful yet jumpy tone in Blair's voice

"Yeah, you seem a bit off" Serena noticed of her friend

"I'm fine, just fine" Blair replied as she tried to play calm "I'll have a sunrise margarita with a bit of vodka to add to the sunshine" she said immediately flagging down one of the waiters before he went off to get her order

"Yes because that screams fine" Jenny laughed

"Now you're avoiding" Blair replied as she lifted her sunglasses from her face to place on the top of her head

"There's nothing really to tell. Chuck and I went away together in search of his mom" Jenny said

"So what this was a supportive trip, no romantic entanglements involved?…I could see forgiveness coming from Eric if that was the case" Blair suggested

"Romantic entanglements ensued. We're very much…together" Jenny replied once again hating the looming factor that was Eric over the scenario of how Chuck and her got together.

"Just what type of entanglements?" Blair asked "Oh, God…you're single handedly going to ruin any shot I'll have at mind blowing weekend" she then panicked as the waiter handed her over the margarita, in which Blair wasted no time in drinking.

"I think what she's trying to get at is…are you and Chuck completely together?" Serena asked as Jenny finally caught on to what they were asking

"Oh, no. We haven't…or not trying. We haven't this whole summer" Jenny quickly replied

"Calm down, we believe you" Serena laughed

"Do you think Dan thinks I'm having sex?" Jenny asked

"Most likely, which will prevent me from having it this weekend" Blair griped before she turned to look at Serena "What's the deal with Nate and you?" she then asked

"Nothing" Serena quickly replied as she laid back against her chair before she put her sunglasses on

"Wait, are you two on good terms?" Jenny asked as she looked from Blair to Serena

"Jenny please, last year was last year. We've matured since then, and have gone our scholarly paths to realize that past mistakes are that of the past" Blair replied so casually as she pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes.

"Good, so the summer has brought about new beginnings for all of us. You two might've even missed each other along the way" Jenny said becoming giddy "It'll be like the restoration to order with you two again" she said

"I think that's a bit much" Serena replied

"So I'm just making something out of nothing. There's nothing right now that is sparking a bit of old friendship feelings between the two of you?" Jenny asked looking on at the two girls acting as if they were modeling four couture summer wear with their fancy summer shades

"But if I did have to admit to something….I may have, you know…I've missed you" Blair admitted as she held her calm and collected pose

"I may have missed you too" Serena replied before the two girls were hit with a string of emotions. Each hiding the tears that were forming in their eyes, Jenny carefully noticed that Blair's fanning her face was her trying to stop tears from rolling down her face while Serena's leg taps were giving away the obviousness as well.

"Aww, this is nice. We're becoming all reuniony right now" Jenny smiled happily as she looked on at the two girls and how they were reacting with each other "Are we going to cry?" she then asked as she saw the water works begin to form in each of their eyes.

"Yes" Blair and Serena both replied as they both fanned their faces to stop the tears from coming but only managed to spread the emotions towards Jenny as she began to tear up as well.

"Why are you crying?" Blair asked Jenny as she noticed the tears coming down her cheeks

"Because I can't help it" Jenny replied through the tears

* * *

Nearly taking up to an hour to find, Dan felt somewhat comfortable as he sat in the coffee shop attempting to finish up work on his story. Still missing his USB, Dan did his best to remember where he left off on the chapters but found it harder to remember what was all ready written and the flow of the chapters than to just add on. Letting out a groan of frustration as he ran his hand through his hair, Dan began to give up hope on writing what was left of his story. Getting up from his seat, Dan walked over to get another cup of coffee. Just as Dan finished putting his order in, Carter and Chuck walked in to the shop.

"This is fitting" Dan said as he tapped his hand on top of the bar for his coffee to come. Exchanging looks with each other, Carter walked over towards Dan.

"Look, I get that your still pissed, but it's been months" Carter reasoned

"It's been months? Does that even make sense in your mind?" Dan questioned in disbelief "Like I'm supposed to get over it because a month or two has passed. I don't care if it's been a year, it'll never change what you did" he replied angrily

"And I'm not trying to act like it doesn't. I just thought that since you still managed to get into college then you'd be a little less upset with me. You got into college, you got in" Carter said grasping for some bit of hope that Dan would somehow forgive

"You ruined my life! I can't forgive that!" Dan said as he shoved Carter

"Hey, hey. Calm down" Chuck said as he stepped in between the two

"I'm sorry" Carter breathed just wanting some sort of forgiveness from his friend "I messed up" he said

"No, you're not .…because if you were, then you wouldn't have screwed up the one dream that I worked my ass off for since I was a kid" Dan replied

"I will do whatever it takes to make this right. We will be friends again" Carter said trying to hold his emotions in check while Dan laughed at him in disbelief

"No, I really don't see that happening because I've gone past anger with you…" Dan replied. Walking over to grab his laptop to put away in his bag

"Dan, c'mon" Carter reasoned as he pushed pass Chuck to try to catch up to Dan

"Stay the hell away from me!….I mean it Baizen" Dan yelled before he turned to leave as all Carter could do was soak up the fact that it wasn't going to be an easy task in getting Dan to forgive him.

"C'mon let's get something" Chuck said as he motioned for Carter to join him at a table before Carter reluctantly followed behind him

"Since when do you do coffee meetings?" Carter griped as he asked

"I do when I have business to discuss with you. So how far into this mess are you?" Chuck asked cutting down to business as the waitress brought them their drinks

"What are you talking about?" Carter asked as he laughed

"Cut the crap, are you still working with Dominic and his men?" Chuck asked as Carter quickly got quiet "Like I figured. I'm buying you out, I'm not having some crime lord in on the business" he then said

"Can't do that" Carter replied as he began to sip on his coffee

"And why not?" Chuck asked

"Because I have rights to Victrola. How I or who I choose to bring in investors is my call" Carter reasoned

"Crime lords aren't investments, they're a liability!" Chuck yelled

"Okay, enough about me. Let's talk about you, preferably Jenny Humphrey" Carter said

"That's none of your business" Chuck replied

"You can have your secret, but as soon as we step back into Gossip Girl territory, the truth will come out" Carter said with a smirk on his face as he began to enjoy Chuck in shut up mode "You can live in this fantasy all you want to, but as soon as we make it back to New York…this bubble of happiness will get popped" he laughed as he took a sip from his drink "Happiness doesn't last long. I know that better than anyone" he said finishing off the rest of his scotch.

"Thanks for the support" Chuck replied sarcastically as a few moments of silence came between them "Just how much trouble are you in?" he then asked as he looked over

"Worry about your own problems. I'm fine with my sins" Carter said as he got up from the table. Pulling money out from his wallet, Carter threw the money down on the table "Coffee is on me" he said before he left the shop.

* * *

Walking up the pathway towards the villa, Blair smiled as she looked out at the waves crashing against sand. Spending two months in New Haven, Blair had come to appreciate and value what the Hamptons brought to her end of the summer ritual. Letting herself into the villa, Blair was quickly greeted by the aromas coming from the kitchen. Setting her bags down by the side of the sofa, Blair walked over towards the kitchen to see Dan finishing up the food that he was preparing for the both of them. Looking up to see her standing in the middle of the kitchen, Dan threw the wash cloth over his shoulder before he walked over to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Is this for me?" Blair asked as she wrapped her arms around his waist

"Yeah, I thought I would make you dinner. Since…." Dan said as he struggled to talk about the events of last night

"Thank you" Blair said as she leaned up to kiss him

"What'd you do today?" Dan asked

"I just enjoyed some of the summer sun with Jenny and Serena" Blair replied as she walked over to take a seat at the counter "You should've come, you would've enjoyed it" she told him

"No, I think I chose correctly. I ended up doing some writing…didn't get anywhere, but it's all in the attempt" Dan said as he began to prepare their plates

"What were you writing about or dare I say, attempting to write about?" Blair asked

"Nothing really, just trying to spark up an idea" Dan replied "What did Jenny say about her little excursion this summer? Did she mention why she decided to up and leave without so much as a word?" he then asked

"Dan, you and I both know that's not a topic you'll leave so easily once we start. Jenny seems to be happy, maybe she was just in need of a change in scenery" Blair said

"Change in scenery? Yeah, because a girl her age so desperately needs that" Dan laughed sarcastically "Talked with Carter" he then stated

"Another topic we should avoid. Let's discuss something that will keep you in good spirits" Blair suggested

"Okay, lets talk about you getting exclusive magazine prints to W magazine?" Dan asked "I mean there was like notes and everything in this book, it looks like some sort of rough draft or something" he said as he handed her the orange envelope.

"It's probably from Bex" Blair replied as she looked on at the envelope

"Bex Simon. The magazine editor?" Dan asked

"Yes" Blair nodded as Dan put her plate in front of her before he began to make his

"Why is she still contacting you?" Dan asked

"Because she wants me to work with her on this new sister magazine for W" Blair replied

"Since when?" Dan asked a bit caught off guard "I mean how come you never said anything about this to me?" he asked as he joined her at the counter

"There was nothing to tell. I was going to Yale" Blair said

"Look it's fine, but why hide the fact that a magazine editor is in need of your services?" Dan asked her

"It was nothing. I was Yale bound, and that's where you sent me to. So there was no need to engage in any other options" Blair said

"Well at least you had the options. That must be nice" Dan sighed

"You have options" Blair replied "Bart helped with getting you into NYU, granted it's not ideal, but it's a college. You're attempting to write…college isn't meant for us to stay there forever, it's the stepping stone to where we want to go" she said

"My stepping stone was supposed to be Dartmouth, then it was supposed to be Yale. My stepping stones have all lead to road blocks" Dan told her

"Maybe this was all supposed to happen? Maybe you were meant for another path that didn't include Dartmouth or Yale?" Blair questioned

"Yes, that was before I met a Carter Baizen. I can't believe he's walking around like nothing ever happened" Dan griped as Blair groaned in annoyance with yet another mention of Carter. Getting up from her seat with plate in hand, Blair put her plate in the sink. "What?" he asked unsure of why she was mad

"I didn't come here to talk about Carter or Chuck and Jenny! Does it suck that Jenny just took off, yes, but you can't control her…you're not her parent. Carter screwed you over, but here's the newsflash, Carter is moving on with his life as should you. Don't let him consume your every thought because he's not worth it!" Blair yelled "I wanted to be with you…" she began to say

"So I'm supposed to forget everything that's happened so we can sex it up? I'm sorry if I'm not wired to screw you on demand…" Dan began to say

"I wish you were because then I might actually feel like you want me! I would love for my boyfriend, whom I haven't been with in any sexual manner for two months, to screw me because that's how we should be at this point. We're in a long distance relationship, but it seems like our sex life has disconnected as well" Blair exclaimed "So in case you haven't noticed, I'm sexually frustrated and annoyed with you on top of that" she added

"Sex is not on my brain this weekend. I thought I'd be able to be with my girlfriend without it having to just be about sex" Dan replied

"And while I'd appreciate that, you knew what this weekend was about! I mean it's been months Dan. We haven't touched each other in months, and I just thought that you'd want me like I want you!" Blair told him in disbelief

"Wanting each other is not the issue..." Dan began to say

"I beg to differ. We have physical evidence to prove that statement" Blair said as Dan couldn't help but laugh to himself as she was now hitting below the belt.

"Fine, then let's do it. Let's sex it up" Dan said as he began to undo his belt buckle

"Sure, get it up and then we'll talk" Blair said as she walked over towards Dan. Looking on at his private area, Dan sighed in frustration as he hated that Blair was winning this battle between them. "Exactly" she said as they reached their final conclusion of a failed erection "I'm going to bed, I'd invite you up, but then I don't want you to feel like you have to have sex with me" she replied sarcastically as she headed towards the bedroom.

* * *

For most of the day, Blair had managed to avoid the villa, where she was sure Dan was sulking. Blair understood that Dan wasn't exactly living the dream while she was away, but a part of her wanted to distance herself from what went wrong and enjoy the time they had together. With school going into it's fall session, Blair knew that her studies were going to pull her away more than ever from what was back home. Though she loved her life at Yale, Blair couldn't help but feel like a part of her wasn't completely satisfied with the path that she was on. Dan had only been in her life for the past two years, but Blair wanted so badly to keep her relationship in tact as it was the one thing she wanted so badly out of everything. Grabbing a drink from the bar, Blair took a seat at the vacant table looking on at everyone else enjoy their time at the annual White Party.

"Is this seat taken?" Bex asked before Blair looked over to see the woman

"Bex Simon, what are you doing here?" Blair asked as she got up to greet the woman before they both took their seats

"I was hoping to catch up with your mother and Rivers, but it seems your mother has skipped out on the festivities" Bex replied

"That's strange, mother never misses a party, especially the White party" Blair said a bit concerned by the news "Cici must've done some damage to the guest list" she then concluded

"Cici Rhodes, that's good company to keep" Bex laughed as she sipped on her champagne "Have you given any thought to my proposal?" she asked

"You mean the proposal that would have me dropping out of college? No, I didn't think much about it" Blair laughed "I'm flattered, but Yale…it's Yale" she reasoned

"And it will always be there, but we're talking career" Bex said

"Not Yale. I've worked for Yale ever since I was a kid" Blair told her

"And if I remember correctly on what you've told me, you've always wanted to work in the fashion industry" Bex replied "I admire the college aspects, I do, but something tells me that you'll get bore along the way. College is college, but it's only the stop before getting to what you really love, and I know you love fashion" she said

"Why me?…why Eleanor Waldorf's daughter? Is this all based on the last name?" Blair asked

"Maybe, but this could also be based on the fact that I like you and see potential" Bex told her "We begin work on the December issue for winter designs next week. I hope you'll be at this address" she said as she slid a card in front of Blair "Don't waste your time with beating around the bush, you know what you want…so go after it" she told her before she got up from her seat while Blair looked on at the card.

* * *

After what felt like hours worth of thinking, Blair found that her mind was becoming consumed with what she had discussed with Bex. Yale meant everything to her, it wasn't something that she took for granted, but she couldn't help but feel like Bex had touched on something. Ever since she was a girl, Blair had wanted to be like her mother in every aspect. Though she hadn't mastered the art of designing like her mother, Blair still aspired to have some sort of a part in the fashion industry. It was until she found her calling as the Queen Bee in high school, that she realized that dictatorship over style was that of an iron fist amongst the girls of Constance. Heading inside the Archibald's summer house, Blair headed towards the restroom only to see that there was a line forming outside. Knowing the grounds well enough to know that there was a bathroom in Nate's room upstairs, Blair headed upstairs to use the restroom. Once she finished up inside of the restroom, Blair began to wash her hands before she heard the door close within the bedroom.

"Nate?" Blair called out "Sorry, I didn't feel like waiting so I just decided to use the restroom up here" she began to explain as she dried her hands on the towel. "Nate?" she called out once more before she headed out of the restroom to see Dan standing by the door. "What are you doing here?" she then asked

"I had to do something" Dan said

"What?" Blair asked as she folded her arms unsure if she even wanted to hear his reasoning

"You" Dan said before he walked over towards her to pull her into a kiss.

Hungrily devouring her lips in his, Dan backed Blair over towards the wall. Hitting her backside up against the wall, Blair let out a moan from the feel of his erection against her. Pulling back to see if she felt what he was feeling, Dan saw a smile come to her face as they had finally reached a full launching point. Sharing a laugh with each other, Dan brought her lips to his before he leaned down to pick her up.

His hands roamed aimlessly under her dress. First making a stop to squeeze her butt to grabbing the sides of her hip. Finally entering his hand in between her legs, Dan pushed her panties to the side in one swoop before he began to rub her up and down. Resting her head up against the wall, Blair panted as she could feel the intensity build inside of her.

Pulling down his pants and boxers, Dan assisted her in the process before he pulled her into another passionate kiss that distracted her from him entering inside of her forcefully. Cupping her bottom for support, they groaned as they pressed their foreheads against each other. Meeting his thrusts with her own, they let breathed heavily as the sensation had them another level of a high. Pinning her up against the wall to where all of his body weight was on her, Blair's leg dropped down while Dan held her other leg. Thrusting in harder and quicker, Dan felt his peak coming sooner than he thought.

Wrapping her up in his arms, Dan quickly lead her over towards the bed before they fell back onto the bed. Sliding her dress up, Dan began to pump hard inside of her. Rubbing her vagina feverishly as he wanted her to reach his peak. Moans escaped her as she thrusted against him. Crying out in pleasure, Blair came with a hard thust as she clenched on tight to his hair that was engulfed in her hands.

* * *

Seeing the moonlight shine through the curtains, Dan felt a sense of peace come through him for the first time in months. Resting her head on his shoulder as they sat on the floor up against Nate's bed, Dan and Blair sat halfway dressed so they were at least somewhat presentable. Sitting in blissful silence, Dan intertwined his hand with hers as the sight of them with hers was all he needed to see to know that whatever he was feeling, his hand in hers was all he needed to feel better. Hearing the music still playing downstairs at the party, Blair was surprised that it hadn't gone off without any problems from Cici, but the music served as a relaxing mechanism to what she was all ready feeling.

"I think this is actually my first time seeing the moonlight over here" Dan laughed as he broke their silence

"What?" Blair asked as she couldn't help but laugh

"It's true. Maybe it was because last year was so much drama while we were here, but this time I can see the moonlight" Dan said as he looked at her "You look beautiful in it" he smiled

"Nice save" Blair laughed as she hit him playfully on the shoulder

"I've been feeling a little wound up these past couple of weeks. I just feel like it's me trying to make the best out of everything from school to work. I know I should be past what Carter did, but I just can't help but think at times what would life be like if I was at Dartmouth or with you at Yale. I wonder would I feel different than what I feel now" Dan told her

"I'm sure you would, but things happen for a reason. There's nothing I'd want more than for you to be with me in New Haven, but I also know that if there's anyone that can't make a nothing into something, it's you Dan Humphrey" Blair told him "I don't expect you to get over what Carter has done, I just don't think you should let him have that power over you" she said

"I get that now" Dan said "I wished I could've realized it sooner while we had our time together, but I was too busy being this jackass you speak of" he laughed

"You were. You were quite the jackass" Blair laughed "But you're a jackass I love very much" she said leaning in to kiss him

"I hate saying the goodbyes to you, but I guess it's something that I'll have to get over. Though the hello sex will be amazing" Dan said

"The sex in general should be amazing" Blair laughed "You're the only guy I want to be with. I'll wait however long, but you're the only guy that I'll ever be with" she said as she pressed her forehead up against his

"Not because I'm good in bed?" Dan asked

"Well because you are, but I was trying to be romantic for your sake" Blair laughed as they laughed together

"I miss you Waldorf" Dan told her

"I miss you Humphrey" Blair replied before he leaned in to give her a sweet kiss. Immediately breaking the kiss, Dan rose to his feet quickly as he reached over to grab his shoes before extending his hand to Blair to help her up from the floor "What are you doing?" she asked in a bit of confusion as she watched his frantic behavior

"C'mon" Dan told her "I want to take you somewhere" he told her

"Humphrey, it's late" Blair laughed

"And? We're not our parents, right? So I think we can handle some late night fun" Dan smiled before she eventually grabbed on to his hand and they took to gathering up their left over garments before fleeing the house.

* * *

Hearing the buzz around the office, Tyler couldn't help but hear the whispers as he made his way down the hallway. Furiously tapping the elevator button to go down, Tyler put his hand on his hips as he did his best to drown out what had become the word around the office he happened to frequent this month. Boarding the elevator, Tyler wasted no time in wanting to leave the floor to address the so called buzz head on. Once he heard the elevator ring for reaching its destination the doors opened immediately to reveal the buzz that was Eleanor Waldorf sitting in the lobby of the Times. As discreetly as possibly, Tyler walked over towards Eleanor to make it seem like he was just a reporter talking to what was a high profile story viewed by his peers. Beaming with smiles once she saw him, Eleanor rose from her seat before he immediately linked arms with her to escort her into a downstairs conference room. Making sure that every sneaky technology that was used to pick up what was being said without being present was turned off, Tyler turned his attention towards the woman before he made sure the doors were locked.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asked

"What do you mean? I came by to see you" Eleanor reasoned

"I get that, but you can't just come to see me" Tyler quickly reasoned as he looked outside the conference room nervously to see if anymore eyes were looking in. Deciding to grab a pad of paper, Tyler wanted to give off the impression that he was conducting an interview

"Why?" Eleanor asked

"Because you just can't" Tyler told her "Look last night was interesting, but I don't think we're at that mode where we just stop by to see each other. We remain like the role of journalist and the story, I call to schedule appointments, no stop by" he told her

"That's ridiculous…" Eleanor replied

"Why?" Tyler asked "Why is it ridiculous?" he asked

"Because you're…you are my…" Eleanor began to say before he stopped her

"Don't say that. I don't know what new mechanisms they might have in here, but you can't say that. No one can know that" Tyler told her

"Okay, I'm a bit confused. You came looking for me, and now you…you act like I'm embarrassing you" Eleanor said "Now I'm beginning to really feel the effects of being a mother" she went on to say

"I asked you not to say that" Tyler sighed

"I didn't say that, but it's the truth. That's what you are, and people will find out" Eleanor said

"And when that comes, I'll deal but I don't want my life to change because of it" Tyler said

"Hasn't it all ready? I mean everyone's life changes because of this" Eleanor reasoned

"I'm not ready to be in your world!" Tyler yelled out of frustration with the constant need to look over his shoulder "I'm sorry that I've turned your world upside down by looking for you, but we can't just fall into that role because at the end of the day you're not that role to me and neither am I to you. You may have transferred that love to Dan, but I'm not that to you…you gave that option up" he reasoned with her

"So then what?" Eleanor asked "I just treat you like a journalist, which is not my strong suit by the way. Journalist around here have a habit of smearing those I love along with me" she said

"Then I guess that's the lines we have to abide by because that's what I am. I've worked my ass off to become one, and I'm not changing it overnight because of you. I know that sounds cold, but I hope you understand that" Tyler said

"So until the next story then…is that how this will work?" Eleanor asked as Tyler gave her sympathetic look

"It has to be this way" Tyler sighed as they both shared pained looks before Tyler broke eye contact. Walking towards the door, Tyler opened the door while Eleanor took that as her sign to leave. Walking with the grace that she was known for, Eleanor walked out of the conference room following behind Tyler.

"What's the story Adams?" One guy asked as Tyler shook his head, making no effort to acknowledge the guy

"Thank you for the follow up questions, I'll be sure to send you a copy of the article once it's finished" Tyler turned to tell her as he knew all eyes had shifted towards them

"If it's to my satisfaction" Eleanor replied before she put her sunglasses on as she headed out of the lobby to face the minimal amounts of paparazzi that were awaiting her shot. Watching her enter into her town car, Tyler hated that he had to keep his distance from her but knew it was the best thing in these circumstances. Loosening up his tie, Tyler headed towards the elevator before he was stopped by his boss, Mr. Hannigan.

"I want to talk to you about your story" Mr. Hannigan told him before reached over to hit the up button for the elevator

"Was there something wrong with it?" Tyler asked

"I just need to talk to you" Mr. Hannigan told him "Be in my office in an hour" he said before he boarded the elevator leaving Tyler confused.

* * *

**"A house is Not a Home", I hate this song**

**Is a house really a home when your loved ones are gone**

**And n-s got the nerve to blame you for it**

**And you know you woulda took the bullet if you saw it**

With the party coming to it's eventual end, Nate walked out onto the patio deck to see the staff clean up the reminisce of the night. Holding his glass of vodka in hand, Nate couldn't help but look over at the bar to see that his father still remained chit chatting with numerous board members he'd parade around all weekend long. Most of his selling points still remained the same on why he recruited new business, but Nate knew the closing line of each pitch that his father gave was this Nate was being prepped to run the business. His co-workers had always looked at him as being poised for the take over with the Captain nurturing him, but Nate felt like with the new experiences he was encountering, there was no sure thing as to who he was anymore. Coming up beside him on the deck with her own glass in hand, Serena tugged on his arm as they both enjoyed the silence.

"Cici was upset, but she's managed to call dibs on next years party" Serena told him "But I do have to commend you for making such a gutsy move by laying claim to the White Party. The Archibalds are on the tip of everyone's tongue" she smiled

"That's good. My father was delighted" Nate laughed as he looked at his father while Serena turned her attention towards him

"But you set this up. You arranged to bring us all here, like it was some sort of spectacle. You were behind all of this…which has me wondering why?" Serena asked

"What are you talking about?" Nate asked

"This is me Nate. I know you, I know this was a party all for show. We've all got our secrets. I'm just beginning to wonder, what's yours?" Serena asked as she looked on at Nate skeptically

"Nothing. I have no secrets, now can we drop it" Nate exclaimed

"Then explain Asher. Explain why you're association to Asher" Serena replied quickly "Ever since our deal with Damien, you've been linked to Damien's people. Anything involving Damien is bad, and I'm here as your friend, who's trying to help. I just want to help Nate" she told him

"You can't help, not on this" Nate said before he brushed past her to head back into the house.

**But you felt it and still feel it**

**And money can't make up for it or conceal it**

**But you deal with it and you keep ballin**

**'Pour out some liquor, play ball and we keep ballin**

**'Baby we've been living in sin 'cause we've been really in love**

Relieving themselves of their clothes, Blair wasn't quite sure why she was going along with his plan but at this point she didn't care. They had covered every range of emotions with each other and Blair just wanted to be with Dan no matter the activity. The waves crashed, making way for a beautiful night on the beach of the Hamptons. Finally stripping his boxers away while she tossed her panties to the side, Dan was glad to see that they were both naked. Pulling her into a kiss, their bodies pressed against each other as her hands roamed aimlessly through his hair. Breaking the kiss, Dan ran out into the water with wreckless abandonment while Blair followed behind making sure to shield some of her body. Crashing into the water, Dan turned back to catch Blair as she fell so lightly into his arms. Allowing the wave to carry them, Dan held her close that way he could protect her. Playing around in the water, Dan and Blair laughed like they were little kids just enjoying the water as opposed to two young adults trying to navigate through life. For that night it was just simple for them. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Blair leaned up to kiss him while he wrapped his arms around her waste.

**But we've been living as friends**

**So you've been a guest in your own home**

**It's time to make your house your home**

**Pick up your phone, come on**

"C'mon. C'mon" Carter said to himself as the phone was pressed up against his ear before he finally heard the phone pick up on the line

"Stop calling" Vanessa quickly answered

"Ness, please. Talk to me" Carter pleaded as he just hoped Vanessa wouldn't hang up on him "It's not what you think. It's complicated" he sighed

"You work for my father. You're on the damn payroll!" Vanessa yelled in frustration "Us, that's not complicated because there is no us anymore" she said before she hung up the phone

**I'm coming homeI'm coming home**

**Tell the World I'm coming home**

**Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday**

**I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes**

**I'm coming home, I'm coming home**

**Tell the World that I'm coming... home**

"We'll be fine" Jenny said as held on to Chuck's hand

"They won't understand us" Chuck muttered

"We don't even understand us?" Jenny quickly replied before Chuck turned to look at her

"You know what I mean" Chuck replied "Our world was out there, not in the perimeters of Gossip Girl. It'll get ugly, and I'm not sure I'm up for that…not after the summer we've had" he told her

"Chuck, this is our world. We can't run from it, and most importantly…I'm not going to allow you to. You have me, and I have you…that's all that matters" Jenny said as he shook his head in agreement before he leaned in to kiss her.

**"Ain't No Stopping Us Now", I love that song**

**Whenever it comes on it makes me feel strong**

**I thought I told y'all that we won't stop**

**We back cruising through Harlem, Viso blocks**

**It's what made me, saved me, drove me crazy**

**Drove me away than embraced me**

**Forgave me for all of my shortcomings**

Standing in the middle of the campus, Blair looked around to observe the students surrounding her. Some sat in the grass studying for their exams. Some chased after professors for reasoning as to why their papers up to par. Some had to stop themselves from pulling their hair out from frustration. Standing still in that moment, Blair just took it all in before she immediately pulled her phone out.

"Blair, so glad to hear from you" Bex smiled as she answered her phone

"I'm coming back to New York. I just need to know that I'm not being used in any form against my mother" Blair quickly asked

"Eleanor is nowhere near the reasons why I want you. You've got a keen eye, and I need that on my staff" Bex replied

"Then you have me" Blair replied a few moments of pause as she looked over "I'll be in New York by this evening" she said

**Welcome to my homecoming**

**Yeah, it's been a long time coming**

**Lot of fights, lot of scars, lot of bottles**

**Lot of cars, lot of ups, lot of downs**

**Made it back, lost my dog (I miss you BIG)**

**And here I stand (here i stand), **

**a better man! (a better man)**

**Thank you Lord (Thank you Lord)**

"What is this?" Tyler asked as he looked on at the contract that his editor had placed in front of him

"We want to turn your article into an actual book. So we're waving the article rights, and turning them into book rights" Mr. Hannigan said

"I don't get it, you barely liked the story when I pitched it" Tyler said

"Oh, I love these types of stories. These stories make millions and lead to other vertical integration" Mr. Hannigan smiled

"Really? So The Anatomy of Government has garnished that much attention. Tell me, which higher ups are getting nervous?" Tyler laughed with a cocky grin on his face

"The Anatomy of what?" Mr. Hannigan asked in confusion "I'm talking about Insider. I thought the length was ridiculous at first, but once I read the first page, I couldn't stop reading. Attacking the socialites of our generation is brilliant" he said

"Attacking socialites?" Tyler asked

"We're running with Insider kid. You've just got your big break" Mr. Hannigan laughed "Risky move, but you got your break…oh, and next time put your name on the damn thing. Anyone can put claim to something" he said handing over the USB to Tyler

**I'm coming home**

**I'm coming home**

**Tell the World **

**I'm coming home**

**Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday**

**I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes**

**I'm coming home, I'm coming home**

**Tell the World that I'm coming... home**

Stashing her clothes away into her bag, Jenny looked around her room as if she wanted to cherish the memories. Grabbing her bag, Jenny let out a sigh of relief as she knew it was something she had to do. Turning to head into the living room, Rufus entered into the loft to see his daughter coming out of her room and immediately he smiled. Rushing over to hug her, Rufus spun her around happily while Dan trailed in behind his father. Noticing the bags, Dan looked over at Jenny skeptically as the first time he had truly spoken to his sister, it was all ready filled with skepticism

"You look amazing. How have you been? Did you eat? Are you hungry? I can make your favorite or we can go out to eat? Whatever you want" Rufus replied as she looked over his daughter

"No, I'm good. I ate on the bus ride back to the city" Jenny replied

"Bus ride?…oh, that's right. You went to the Hamptons as well" Rufus said as he began to remember what she was referring to "I forget that my kids are hob knobbing with the rich and famous now" he laughed

"Hey Jen" Dan said awkwardly "We didn't see much of each other in the Hamptons. Strange, to be in the same space with my sister for a weekend and we absolutely miss each other. Must be the new company she's keeping" he said

"And I knew you'd start in on that" Jenny laughed to herself not surprised that Dan was going in on Chuck so early on in the conversation

"I'm just trying to keep up because I'm trying to understand who the new you is. The new you just gets up and takes off for unknown places without so much as a word or more like two sentences to me. He's a bad influence on you" Dan told her

"And to that I have to go" Jenny said as she leaned over to pick up her bag

"Whoa, wait. Where are you going?" Rufus asked as he stepped in between the two to stop Jenny from going "What's with the bags? Just unpack and we can enjoy a family dinner together. C'mon, we have seen each other all summer long" he said looking from Jenny to Dan

"He'll never care for you like you think. It's a thing, whatever you think you have with him, it's a thing" Dan stated

"Dan!" Rufus said trying to scold his son

"Someone needs to say it!" Dan replied angrily "He's all ready changing you, and you just see it as nothing" he told her

"I see it as me enjoying my life. I like him, and it's not just some thing with him…it's more" Jenny told him

"So you think, but it's only until he finds another girl to screw" Dan replied "What exactly can you two have that will make him committed to you and only you?" he asked

"Because we're married" Jenny said as she pulled her wedding band out of her clutch to put on her hand to show the full effect of her being a married woman "I'm his wife" she told him as Rufus and Dan both stood in shock.


	2. The Freshmen

**Author's Note: Hey guys. So I guess this week will be a crucial week for Dair. All of which, I'm certain the writers will screw up. Can't say that I'm looking forward to it because I think the writers will come up with something that will scratch your head and make you say WTF? though Vampire Diaries has softened the blow for me becuase I think every fan base on that show got slapped in the face on that finale, but nonetheless; they have great writing for a teen show/supernatural. So to aid in the summer worth of fanfiction we'll all be partaking in to get us through, whether we remain with the show after season finale, I hope you enjoy the chapter and may you be able to survive the crap I'm sure we'll get on Monday. **

**My only wish is that I don't have to stomach another "our love is so legendary and epic" speech from Chuck and Blair. They do that every season finale, and it's getting a bit played out to like "WE KNOW ALL READY!"**

**Please excuse the mistakes and I hope you enjoy the chapter :)**

* * *

_**Trinity: Family,Love,and Scandal**_

_**Chapter Two- The Freshmen**_

* * *

**Sometimes it's gonna be days like this**

**Sometimes it's gonna be rain like this**

**Sometimes you're gonna feel pain like this**

**Sometimes you gotta work hard for it**

Entering into the young woman's room, Dorota made her way through carelessly as it became routine for the woman to awaken the young woman to her day. Opening up the curtains in one swift motion, Dorota smiled as the sunlight shun through on her. With a smile plastered on her face, Dorota turned to look at the bed to see the grimacing smile on Blair's face only to realize the bed was vacant. Looking on at the spot in confusion since Dorota was sure that Blair had come home the night before, Dorota quickly searched the bed in search of the brunette.

"Dorota, we have no time for side tasks. We must prepare for my big day" Blair said as she came out of the restroom with her robe on.

"For your day at magazine?" Dorota asked

"Not just a magazine, Modern Magazine, the buzz worthy magazine that I will be a part of on my quest to being a successful business woman" Blair said getting lost in her reverie of the potential greatness she possessed. "Now, I will need you to pull all of my in season wear. I need the dress length to be approximately twenty five inches. Then I want the grey silk blouse to be steamed, last time there was a wrinkle and Penelope swore that I was dressing out of the hamper…I tell you, you can take the common from the girl, but you can't stop a girl from being so common" she sighed as she delegated tasks to her trusty maid "Chop, chop. We must get going" she said clapping her hands before Dorota took to her tasks.

**Because when u feeling low**

**And u can't get no lower**

**That's when u know your close**

**Sometimes u gotta work hard for it**

Putting her dress on, Dorota quickly zipped up the back of her dress as Blair looked over the final selection. Eyeing every bit of the dress, Blair wanted to make sure that she looked the part of a business woman that she was in training to be. A smile slowly came to her face as she had come to the final conclusion that she had reached her conclusion on the dress that had taken her one hour to select after tedious criteria's were set in place.

**Ohh gotta get it**

**Hey hey hey**

**Sometimes the road may seem too far**

**You never really know for sure**

**If you're ever gonna make it**

**Sometimes the end may seem so far**

**You never really know for sure**

**If u got the strength to make it**

**But u gotta remember**

Stepping into her Louboutin's, Blair began to feel a sense of pride as she had her golden armor to enter into the fashion magazine. Heading back into her bedroom, Blair began to prepare her briefcase as she made sure to be equipped with her resume, headshot, leadership qualifications, and photos of girls that she's reformed from tragic to magic. Just as she prepared for her day with Dorota, Blair's phone began to vibrate from what she was sure to be a Gossip Girl update. Giving Dorota a worrisome look, Blair contemplated on whether she should deal with Gossip Girl news before a days worth of work lay ahead of her. Reluctantly walking over towards her phone, Blair opened up the phone to read the message as she nearly looked bewildered with what she was reading.

_**Gossip Girl: Seems Lonely Boy has finally turned to Daddy Warbucks or in this case, Bart Bass, wonder what dinner conversation consisted of. Whatever it was, I sure hope Chuck didn't feel slighted when the bread basket ran low.**_

**Sometimes it's gonna be days like this**

**Sometimes it's gonna be rain like this**

**Sometimes you're gonna feel pain like this**

**Sometimes you gotta work hard for it**

* * *

Making sure to tidy up behind himself, Dan looked around the oversized room that he had stayed in for the night with a sense of confusion as to how he even got here in the first place. Finding no use in trying to examine the craziness that was his life, Dan headed out of the room only to find the maid expecting him. With a smile on her face, the maid escorted Dan towards the dining area where breakfast was set out for him. Normally Dan would've been eager to have his daily toast, but with the feast that was prepared, Dan could see that Bart was pulling out all the stops in trying to make his stay as pleasant as possible. Requesting his cup of coffee, Dan received royal treatment from the moment he stepped into the dining area to the moment he was assisted in taking his seat at the table. Placing the napkin on his lap, Dan felt the need to take control of the situation as he feared that the staff would then take to eating his food for him.

"Could you make sure to bring me the paper?" Bart asked the maid as he made his way into the dining area "Daniel, good morning" he greeted the young man with a smile

"Good morning" Dan muttered, unsure of how he should even act around Bart

"With that be all?" The maid asked

"That will be all" Bart replied as he took his seat at the table across from Dan before the maid left them alone "How was your rest?" he asked

"It was fine" Dan replied

"Good because if you needed any extra pillows or anything, I can have the staff get whatever supplies you need" Bart told him

"No, I'm fine. I actually over stayed, but I'm working on trying to fix that" Dan told him

"Nonsense. You can stay as long as you like" Bart replied as he took a sip from his cup of tea

"I think that's the problem" Dan muttered to himself "I think the sooner I figure out my living arrangements then the sooner I can get a clear head" he sighed

"Daniel…" Bart began to say

"Please, let's not do that. I thank you for letting me stay here, but I need to be able to take care of myself" Dan quickly told him before the maid made her presence into the dining area

"A Blair Waldorf is here to see you Mr. Humphrey" The maid told him

"I have to go, but will I see you later?" Bart asked

"I don't know, but don't be surprised if I'm not here" Dan sighed

"Dan, you can stay as long as you like. I know that I'm not your favorite person, but I'm glad you came to me" Bart smiled causing Dan to feel even more repulsed for his decision. Getting up from his seat, Bart made his way out of the dining area just as Blair was making her way in. Greeting each other through mutual nods, Blair couldn't seem to hide the perplexity that was written all over her face.

"Hey" Dan sighed as he took a sip from his cup of coffee just as his plate was brought out to him

"Okay, this has officially taken a weird turn" Blair replied as she just stared at her boyfriend "What are you doing here?" she asked

"It's a long story that ends in yet another Humphrey family drama, but I guess my real question is what are you doing here?….as in here in New York" Dan asked as it began to dawn on him that Blair's appearance was sudden "Did you stay a few days behind before going back to New Haven? How'd you find me?….wait don't answer that part of the question" he asked

"Not exactly" Blair replied as she took a seat beside him at the table "But let's save that topic for another time, I want to know why you are here, in Bart Bass's town home, eating like you live here" Blair asked

"Because it was the only place I had left to go to" Dan sighed as he poked at his eggs

"Uh, what about my house? It's practically your second home, I used to plot to get rid of you from being there so much, why not go there?" Blair asked

"Have you talked to your mom?" Dan asked

"I just flew in last night, but I haven't had the luxury of bumping into her. Should I?" Blair asked "Why do I feel like there is one big cluster of drama hanging over me, and your lightly trying to poke at it to avoid it pouring all over me?" she then asked as she looked at Dan skeptically

"Jenny and Chuck, they're….they're together" Dan said trying to hide the disgust in his voice

"I know, she told me" Blair replied as she reached over to take a sip from his orange juice

"Wait you knew they were married!" Dan quickly asked before Blair spit out all of her orange juice on him in shock "And by that response, you clearly didn't" he said to himself as he let the orange juice drip down his face

"Is that even legal?" Blair asked as she began to wipe his face with the napkins "I mean Jenny's barely even sixteen, and Chuck's eighteen. How?" she asked

"Apparently this part of London that they went to, the legal age is fifteen with no parental consent necessary to get married" Dan replied

"Okay, so there you go. She's not married until she goes back to said part of the country. She can be play marriage like every other basketball wife, but in the states she'll be just a regular sixteen girl with a promise ring" Blair told him

"Maybe, but I kind of want to avoid the whole mess all together because in her mind she's married. I mean for these past couple of months they've been sleeping together…" Dan began to say

"No, they haven't done that actual deed, which sounds about right. It's common for victims of sexual assault to hold off on sexual activity" Blair interrupted

"Wait, just how much did she tell you?" Dan asked

"Well we're basically filling in the blanks for each other, but I know for a fact that she said they weren't having sex. Plus she smells like a virgin still" Blair told him

"How does a virgin smell?" Dan asked in confusion

"Humphrey, you know the whole devirginized smell. We practically wreaked of it after our Christmas Eve romp" Blair said as Dan still looked at her with uncertainty as to what she was talking about in her face "It's besides the point, you should just talk to your dad about this and figure out how you move on from this" she said as leaned in to kiss Dan on the cheek "Are you going to eat your bacon?" she then asked

"Go ahead" Dan sighed as Blair quickly grabbed her pieces of bacon before rising to her feet "Why are you so dressed up? More than you usually would be?" he asked as he looked her attire over

"Because I'm going to work" Blair replied "I'll see you tonight" she said before she made her way out of the dining area

"Since when do you work?" Dan asked aloud only to hear no response. Shifting his attention over towards his phone, Dan was reluctant to check any of his messages as he feared it would only add to his anger with his family.

* * *

Laying in her bed, Jenny stared up at the ceiling as if she was finding some bit of enjoyment of picturing the London sky. A slight smile came to her face as she could only envision it so clearly what was a perfect summer with Chuck. It had been a tumultuous road, but Jenny could only smile at the path they took to find each other in the long run that ended up with them finding all they needed in each other. Jenny knew her father was more disappointed than anything about her marriage, but she hoped that in the end he would understand how happy she was with Chuck. Hearing him shuffle about in the kitchen, Jenny took this as her opportunity to talk to him before the day waned on and something else would come up to prevent their much needed discussion. Standing in the doorway of her room, Jenny stopped short of walking towards her father when she heard a knock come to the door. Rufus looked over at his daughter before he turned to go answer the door. Opening the door, Rufus laughed to himself in disbelief as it just kept getting worse for Rufus with now Chuck Bass standing at his door.

"Hello Mr. Humphrey, I'm sorry to stop by so early but I was just came to speak with Jenny" Chuck told him nervously

"Oh, you mean your wife" Rufus replied

"Yes….is she, is she awake?" Chuck asked nervously before Rufus opened up the door wide enough for Chuck to see Jenny standing in the doorway of his room. Trying not to let a smile escape him as he wanted to remain respectful, Chuck found that all he wanted to do was rush over to kiss Jenny more than anything.

"I actually need to talk to you both, so as much as I hate seeing you…." Rufus said through gritted teeth "You may enter" he said motioning for Chuck to enter.

"Thank…" Chuck began to say

"Don't thank me" Rufus quickly replied as Jenny walked over towards the living room area to join Chuck and Rufus "Now I think it's been made apparent that you two are….are married, so excuse me or not, but I find that to be the dumbest thing you two could've done" he told them

"Why?" Jenny asked "Why is that stupid?" she asked

"Because you're sixteen!" Rufus exclaimed "Jen, you still like Lucky Charms with just marsh mellows only" he added as example

"Like people don't have kiddy tendencies?" Jenny questioned

"That's not the same thing. You're not mature enough for marriage, it takes more than the whole than the whisking romance. You have to know each other, you have to understand each other, you have to get that not everyday will be perfect, hell it might be the worst day with that person, but it takes strength to stay" Rufus told them

"Maybe that's what it was between mom and you, but it's different with us" Jenny replied as Rufus gave her a scolding look which caused Chuck to step in

"Mr. Humphrey, I understand that your mad…" Chuck began to say

"I really don't think you do" Rufus replied "Because if you knew then you'd know that you are the last person I want to marry my daughter" he said

"Dad!" Jenny shouted as she found her father's words to be disrespectful

"No, I deserve that" Chuck replied as he looked over at Jenny

"No, you don't" Jenny told Chuck before she looked over at her father angrily "He's trying to talk to you, and you just keep berating him" she said

"I really don't care how I talk to him because he had no right! You're my daughter, and when he gets to experience being a father than he'll understand" Rufus said not backing down from his dislike of Chuck

"Which is why I understand the level of disrespect you must feel from not going about this marriage in the traditional sense" Chuck said

"I could give a crap about tradition, but even if I did, I don't expect you to uphold any respect because nothing about you is respectable" Rufus told him "This marriage isn't real, and once Jenny comes to her senses, she'll realize that nothing about you is real" he said

"Really? Do you have to be so rude?" Jenny asked her father

"I don't care!" Rufus yelled as Jenny and him began to argue back and forth. Watching the two bicker back and forth, Chuck felt as if the only thing left to do was reveal his real intentions for stopping by.

"I want to marry your daughter" Chuck declared as Jenny quickly turned to look at him while Rufus scoffed at the notion

"You've all ready done that" Rufus replied

"No, I mean marry her as in front of friends and family. As in me getting your permission" Chuck told him

"As in being real?" Jenny asked as she looked on at Chuck

"No, no way" Rufus replied "If I hated the idea of you two being married in some town in London, then I sure as hell won't entertain the thought of you marrying where it's legal" he replied "What is your game? I mean is this all some big game to you, where you just mess with her head some more. Didn't do enough damage by having her raped by your little buddy?" he asked

"Dad!" Jenny yelled

"What is it about my daughter that gives you some sick thrill of messing with her?" Rufus said as he pushed Chuck

"I…" Chuck began to say before Rufus continued to push him

"Why can't you leave her alone and let her live her life? Why can't you realize that you're not good enough for her!" Rufus yelled as he continued to push Chuck

"….I love her" Chuck finally spoke

"You don't know what love is!" Rufus yelled

"To you, but I do. I know what it means because I feel it. I may be this monster in your eyes, and rightfully so, but I'm better because of her. I try to be better because of her…I'm trying" Chuck reasoned "I mean isn't that what love is about? Being better because that person makes you want to be" he said as Rufus just shook his head trying to shake himself out of the twilight zone that he was in. Looking from both Chuck to Jenny, Rufus just couldn't believe that this was actually going on.

* * *

Opening the door to the single bedroom, Dan walked in to observe the hardwood floors that he had fallen in love with through pictures. It had been the second week into the summer, when Dan had stumbled upon this rare jewel that was located just a city block out of the Upper Eastside but still was the prime location he'd always dreamt of living at. Day after day, Dan would pass by the building, just growing more in love by the day until one day he decided to pick up a picture. In a summer full of misery, Dan found that having this picture was the one thing that made him strive for something. So each paycheck, he'd bite the bullet and set aside five hundred dollars from his check and from the trash cans he'd collect at Pepe's. More and more he began to see that his dream could actually become a reality if he stuck to his goal of getting enough money to cover him a month ahead. Finally being able to afford the place, Dan took his morning off to look around the place as the latest drama gave him more than enough ammo to finally put a bid in. Finishing up his observations of the bedroom, Dan followed the realtor out as he took his time to take in the living room space.

"Why is this taking so long?" Vanessa whispered as she came up behind him while he stood with his eyes closed, trying to envision his life here.

"Because I need to visualize" Dan replied with his eyes still closed

"You've been visualizing for the past hour. Can you visualize us eating something or doing something other than this?" Vanessa whined

"Have you made your decision yet?" The realtor asked as she stood vigil with her clipboard

"I just need to know something, what would the increase be within the next month or so?" Dan asked

"What do you mean?" The realtor asked

"I mean do you think the price on this place, do you think it will go up a month from now?" Dan asked

"Danny, this is New York. It always goes up from month to month" Vanessa reasoned

"I would say that if you're interested in the place then you should consider putting your bid in soon" The realtor told him with a sympathetic look "With the economy being the way it is, the prices don't go up as much, but the location is very idea for a lot of people. I've held this location for some time and I'm starting to get offers on it" she said

"More or less than the asking price?" Dan asked

"A bit more than your willing to give, but I have another week until I have to make a sale. So please, come up with your plan soon" The realtor told him before she made her way into the kitchen to lock up.

"A week, there you go. Make it happen, let's go" Vanessa said before she dragged Dan out of the house until they made it to the sidewalk

"Why are you even here? I thought you were supposed to be going to Dom's birthday party" Dan asked

"I would if I didn't exactly despise him. I still can't believe he got Carter involved in all of this, and then I found out that he's still on the payroll" Vanessa replied

"Carter made that choice, Dom's just running his business, however crooked it might be" Dan sighed

"Yeah well, you know how I feel about the family business" Vanessa replied "It's all gang relate drama you see on movies, but never think you'd live" she told him

"It's what you grew up around, you should be used to it by now" Dan told her

"Maybe" Vanessa shrugged "So what's up with you? I thought you'd be living at the loft until the day you die, why look for another place?" she asked

"Oh because of the recent fact that my sister has lost her mind" Dan stated

"Are you sure she's lost her mind or hasn't done what you expected of her?" Vanessa asked

"How am I to blame? Jenny has lost her mind, and I get lumped in that?" Dan questioned

"Because it's you. You're like an eighty year old man in a nineteen year old body" Vanessa laughed

"Yeah well, this latest stunt is the icing on the cake. She's apparently married to Chuck Bass now" Dan told her as Vanessa just laughed in shock

"Seriously? Wow! Talk about kids gone wild" Vanessa laughed "What has the Upper Eastside done to you guys" she teased as they continued to walk down the street together.

* * *

If working could feel like this everyday, Blair was sure that she would love to enter into the workforce sooner than later. Blair had always seen her mother moan and groan about long days at the office, but it was fashion week where she truly saw the joys of why her mother loved her job. It was like the complaining was all a part of the process to get to the big stage that Blair began to yearn for. Bex had given Blair the grand tour of Modern Magazine, which the upcoming sister magazine to W, that Blair would assist in running. For the most part, Blair had assumed that with Bex's personal recruiting of her, that she would play a big role in the company coming to be as big as W is on it's platform. Giving Blair her company allowance for dresses she'd have to purchase for photo shoots or trips she'd take for fashion week, Blair couldn't help but want to jump right in. Ending the tour at Bex's lavish office, Blair had stars in her eyes from the tour.

"I can't believe this building could be so amazing. I'm not one for architecture, but the design is impeccable" Blair smiled

"Thank you, we had some of the top designers put in input on the designing. We wanted to have the modern feel" Bex said as she took her seat at her desk

"I can definitely see myself working here" Blair smiled

"Good. I want you to feel like you could practically live here because when it comes to fashion week, you probably will" Bex told her

"I don't know if I'd go to that extreme, but I do love this building" Blair told her before her cell phone began to go off

"Now you'd be keying in making the transition from W to Modern. Getting people to recognize the company as its own entity, so to have you on board this early is refreshing" Bex told her just as a knock came to the door causing both girls to turn their attention towards the man standing in the doorway. "And there's the pain in my ass that will eventually lead to being your pain in the ass" she laughed as she looked over at the man

"You like me being in your ass, you know without the sexual innuendo present" The guy replied as he made his way into the office

"Blair, this is Louis. Louis, this is Blair Waldorf" Bex introduced the two

"I've heard much about you" Louis said as he extended his hand out to shake hers

"You'll mostly being working in my department, never with Louis, so you can thank the heavens for that. If and when you do begin to work with Louis, it'll be because you're moving up on the ladder because Louis is more of the international handler of the magazine" Bex told her

"What does that mean? My mother never dealt with one of those?" Blair asked as Louis and Bex shared a laugh

"I cover the international circuit as in the fashion shows" Louis told her

"Louis is hardly in the office, when he is, he's an ass because he wishes he was jet setting and hob knobbing with the ritzy folks" Bex told her

"I won't be in town for long…." Louis began to say

"Milan. Fashion Week is coming up for them" Blair concluded as she knew the schedule like the back of her hand

"Yes, Milan" Louis smiled

"My mother loves Milan, I've only been there once or twice, but it leaves a lasting impression" Blair said before Louis turned his attention towards Bex, who seemed to be loving the impression Blair was making on Louis. Tearing her attention away, Blair's phone began to go off. "I'm so sorry" she said as she reached for her phone

"If you need to go, it's fine. We've pretty much covered everything" Bex told her

"Are you sure?" Blair asked

"Yeah" Bex replied "Just come in at the same time tomorrow" she told her as Blair got up from her seat to grab her stuff

"It was nice to meet you" Blair smiled at Louis before she left the office.

"Does she know what she's getting into?" Louis asked with a bit of a laugh

"She's fully aware…well not completely aware" Bex smiled "She's ready, she'll become our best investment" she said

"I don't invest in people, I invest in designs. You should know this. I just hope you're right about this because this is a lot of responsibility for her to handle, and a lot of you to handle on top of that" Louis replied

"Stop worrying about my victims, and worry about yours" Bex replied as she held up the pink slip on her desk "Jessie called, she said she had loads of fun last night" she teased

"I've got to go. See you in three weeks" Louis sighed as he made his way out of the office

* * *

Cautiously walking up towards the door frame, Jenny leaned up against the door frame as she looked on at her father. Sitting in his favorite chair, Rufus strummed his guitar as he hummed melodies that he had perfected over time. Changing his tune, Rufus looked out at the window as he began to stare out aimlessly, just wondering how he got so horrible at the one thing he wanted to be the best at. Seeing the sadness in his face, Jenny came out slowly as she didn't want him to think that she was just stalking him. After their earlier encounter with Chuck, Jenny wanted to give her father the space he needed to process what was happening, but felt like this was the perfect opportunity.

"I used to love itsy, bitsy spider" Jenny said as she walked out to join her father

"You used to just love me play" Rufus replied

"Because it always sounded cool with the whole melodies and stuff coming from this contraption" Jenny laughed "I remember Dan and I would always pretend like we knew how to play the guitars. We'd hold little rock concerts with you" she smiled as Rufus couldn't help but get caught up in the memory himself

"Sometimes I wish you guys could stay that small forever. Your minds only wandered about when you were going to get pizza or candy, not getting married to a guy like Chuck Bass" Rufus replied as a silence came between them "I don't get it Jen, I really can't understand why you're doing this" he shook his head

"I love him" Jenny replied

"You've got to give me more than that because I've tried this love thing, and….it's got a pretty bow at first, but then it fades away" Rufus told her

"I know, but that's the only way I can describe it" Jenny said

"Then what makes you think that you're ready for marriage?" Rufus asked

"Because he gets me. I know it's stupid but he does. All year long I've been trapped in my own personal hell…" Jenny began to say

"Mostly because of him" Rufus replied

"Yes, but mostly because I was trying to be something I wasn't. I hated the person I was, the person that would do anything to be popular. With Chuck, I feel like he's the only person I've been the real me with him. I like who I am with him, for the first time…I like me" Jenny reasoned "I know it may not be the mature answer, but it's the answer that comes from my heart" she said "You've been in my position before…" she began to say

"Jen, it wasn't the same thing" Rufus sighed in frustration

"But you knew how I felt…and you still married mom anyways" Jenny replied "I'm asking, that's the difference between you and I" she said as Rufus just looked up at her. Sharing a serene moment, Rufus knew with every fiber in him that this could possibly be a mistake but he could also see the love that she spoke of. Rufus had seen an array of emotions in Jenny, but it was this emotion that he knew was real and genuine.

* * *

Once she came home, Blair was more than happy to enjoy the comforts of a hot bath to soak her aching body in. Though she had been thrown into her dream job, where no hard work was really required out of the day. Dressed in her most casual attire that looked and was worth more than what it seemed, Blair made her way downstairs expecting to see Dan sitting in the living room reading or watching the latest classic he had gotten his hands on whether foreign or of native tongue. A bit shocked that Dan was nowhere to be found, Blair thought that if she would busy herself with reading her latest Elle magazine then she would luck up to see him coming from some unseen place. Just as she got lost in the pages of her magazine, Blair was torn away from her reading by her mother's furious entry into the house. Surprised to see her daughter, Eleanor quickly try to dispel her frustrations as she faked a brave face.

"Blair. Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" Eleanor asked as she walked over to greet her daughter with a hug and kiss

"I decided to come home…for good" Blair said timidly

"What do you mean for good?" Eleanor asked as she pulled back from her daughter's embrace "Did something happen? Did someone tell you something?" she asked worriedly

"No" Blair replied "Why would someone tell me something that would cause me to run back?" she asked quizzically

"I just…I'm just trying to understand why you're not soaking up the halls of Yale. You practically talked about non stop as a child, so to actually go there….I thought you'd spend every moment there" Eleanor replied

"Bex Simon happened. She convinced me to work for Modern" Blair replied

"That new magazine?" Eleanor asked as she took a seat

"Yes. I went by her office today, and to take a tour…it's amazing" Blair beamed happily

"I'm glad you're coming back with a job. So that's refreshing to know as a mother" Eleanor replied

"Where's Dan? Do you have him off running errands?" Blair asked as she put her magazine to the side

"I don't" Eleanor replied as she seemed a bit surprised that Dan didn't inform her of the changes that were made in her absence

"You've become extreme lax then because not knowing where your employees are is extremely unsettling" Blair laughed as she laid her head back on the pillow behind her "How are things with you? I feel like I haven't had many oppurtunities to talk to you this summer" she asked her mother

"Everything is same. Nothing new in my world" Eleanor laughed nervously

"Really? I find that hard to believe with a woman of your stature" Blair laughed "C'mon, we can girl talk as you say" she teased

"Girl talk? you hate girl talking with me. You say it's creepy" Eleanor laughed

"It is, but I'm bored and I need someone to judge" Blair joked

"All is well with me" Eleanor said as she forced a smile "I'm proud of you, you took initiative, when one thing didn't pan out, you made sure to have a sure thing in waiting" she told her

"So you're not upset with me dropping out of college?" Blair asked

"No, well yes...but I'd rather you do something that you can committ to rather than go through the motions on" Eleanor told her

"I'm not sure what went didn't feel right with Yale, but I just feel like this was too amazing of a oppurtunity to miss. I guess I'm always chasing the ideology of being like you...you're the one person I strive to be like" Blair said as she looked at her mother with adoration, which only made Eleanor feel uncomfortable

"Be your own person Blair. I don't want you to be anyone but you" Eleanor said as she rubbed her daughter's leg before Blair's cell phone began to vibrate from a text that she received. Reaching over to grab her phone, Blair looked on at the screen of her phone.

"It's Dan. He wants me to meet him at the park" Blair said as she read the message.

* * *

With night air sending chills through her bones, Dan took comfort in bringing her close to his body as they walked through the park with their arms linked together. Dan hadn't given Blair too much to go off on as to why they were walking in the park so late at night, but Blair saw it as his oppurtunity to be romantic if anything. Since returning from the Hamptons, Blair was thrilled to see how their relationship would develop since the pressures of a long distance relationship was put to the wayside. Though they both wouldn't admit it, Blair feared that they would become another fatality of what a long distance relationship would result in, so it became another added reason as to why she decided to come back to New York. Walking out of the park, Blair became a bit more curious as to what Dan was up to because she thought his whole surprise would have to do with them being in the park.

"Okay, I love the whole surprises, but Humphrey where are you taking me?" Blair asked

"I thought you liked surprises?" Dan asked with a bit of laughter

"I do, but not in this time of night. Especially when its cold on top of that" Blair replied "Wait, you're not secretly trying to put me on some plane back to New Haven, are you?" she asked skeptically as she came to a stop

"What? no" Dan replied "I want to show you something" he told her

"Something in New York" Blair said in confirmation as Dan lead the way towards the townhome "And apparently you're planning on killing me, and putting my body in house until some lonely cat woman discovers me" she said looking on at the house while Dan just laughed

"No" Dan laughed as he pulled a keychain "Here, this is for you" he said handing the keychain to her

"Most guys give their girlfriends necklaces from Tiffany's. I get key chains from the local dollar store. Humphrey you shouldn't have" Blair teased

"No, I'm being serious" Dan told her "What do you think?" he asked

"Of the keychain?" Blair asked

"Of the prospects of what this keychain means, I mean what do you think of this place?" Dan asked Blair looked at him with much suspicion in her eyes while Dan just took in her reaction as he wrapped his hands around her waist

"Are you saying that...?" Blair began to ask

"I'm in the process, I still have a bit more to save up. But this is what I've been doing all summer long, saving up for this place so I could move out" Dan said as his excitement began to come through in his voice "It's pretty great on the inside, I'd have to bring you by in the morning but it has hardwood floors with a spacious bedroom. Then the kitchen is to die for" he told her

"And you're being serious about this? you're really going to get this place?" Blair asked with a smile from ear to ear

"Well hopefully" Dan told her before Blair quickly turned to wrap him up into a hug "It's not written in stone, but I'm going to really dig deep to get this down payment together because I have to make an offer before next week, but when that happens..." he told her before she let go of his embrace on him

"Why wouldn't you be able to afford it?" Blair asked "I mean granted you're becoming lax around the penthouse, but I'm sure my mom will increase your hours to help you out" she said "Or is she trying to play that whole 'I want you to feel the accomplishment of earning what you want' deal, because if that's the case than I'm sure we can swap Dorota out on some of her hours" she told him

"No, I actually...I kind of have to earn this. I know it's confusing, but I will tell you but I want to tell you something else before I tell you what I should tell you" Dan told her

"The fact that you have to tell me something else before you tell me this other thing is kind dimenishing what I'm going to hear" Blair rambled

"I want you to move in with me" Dan told her as he cut her off from her rambling. Taking a moment, Blair looked at Dan to see if he was playing before she finally began to jump up and down in excitement.

"Of course. Yes, yes, yes" Blair replied excitedly "All the unlimited sex would could think. I mean late night sex, sex in the morning, shower sex, we can do it anywhere without having to worry about being caught" she said happily

"Okay, well that's an added bonus, but this could be our next step. I know that things have been a bit crazy, but you're my priority. I want us to have it all, and be what we've always been to each other" Dan told her as he leaned in to kiss her

"That's sweet. Very sweet to be honest" Blair smiled as she continued to kiss him before Dan's phone began to go off causing them both to groan at the interruption "Don't take it" she suggested

"I have to" Dan smiled before he pulled his phone out to answer while Blair's phone then went off

"Hmm, this should be interesting" Blair said to herself before she answered

"Hey, Dad" Dan said as he answered the phone

"I need you to come home. I need to talk to you" Rufus said in a calm voice

"Uh..yeah, sure. Is Jenny there?" Dan asked

"She is, but she's getting ready to head down to the church" Rufus replied

"What do you mean?" Dan asked as he looked over his shoulder to see that Blair was carrying on her own conversation that seemed to be heavy as well "Why is she going to church? is this a Chuck thing? what does he want her to convert to his make up religion?" he groaned as he asked

"No, she's...she's getting married tonight" Rufus said as Dan froze for a second before Dan turned to look at Blair

"Dad, what do you mean she's getting married?" Dan asked "She can't get married. The only way she can get married is if...Dad, please tell me that you. No, you couldn't" he said as it began to register to him "Are you kidding me!" he began to yell

"I had no choice. She was either going to go behind my back and runaway again...I just have to trust her. Trust that she will understand the responsibility" Rufus babbled on hoping that something would stick with him before Dan eventually hung up the phone on his dad. Walking over towards Blair, Blair ended her phone call as she could see Dan slowly began to unravel

"Who was it?" Dan asked hurriedly

"Jenny..." Blair began to say before Dan quickly pulled his phone out to try to call his sister "Dan, she's on her way" she told him

"I can still stop her" Dan replied as he began to walk out towards the street to hail a taxi down.

* * *

Snacking on the peanuts as he sat off in the corner of the bar, Tyler took another sip of his drink of his beer as he didn't want to tear his attention away from the manuscript that he was reading. Since talking with Mr. Hannigan, Tyler had made it a point to read the story that had blew his editor away so much that it was in the heavy stages of being turned into a book. A part of Tyler wanted to claim the book as his own, but the conscience in him wouldn't allow him to do so. With each page that he read, Tyler became more enthralled with the characters to where he felt like he had more access to the fictional characters that were obvious portrayal of his mother's world. So many possible people ran through his mind as to who each character was, Tyler couldn't help but feel like this world had more goldmine worth of storylines than he could possibly imagine. Just as he began to get lost in the pages, Tyler's best friend, Sean, came making his way inside of the bar to join him at the table.

"You're back early, I thought you had an away game?" Tyler asked with a bit of laughter

"Stop it, you know I'm practice squad. Coach says that I'm third man to the third man" Sean replied as he took his jacket off while he tried to get comfortable in his seat "I personally think it's some bullshit, but what do I know. Hey Vinny! can I brotha get some beer over here" he then called out

"Aren't we living up to the stereotypes" Tyler laughed "Any tidbits on that steroid rumor that you might want to share? you know off the record" he asked

"I'm not getting caught up in that with you. I'm all ready riding the practice bench, the last thing I need to be labeled as is a snitch in the locker room" Sean told him "What'd you call me down here for? I have a ice pack with my name on it back at the crib, that sounds more appealing than drinking with you" he told his friend

"I'm getting published" Tyler sighed as he folded his arms

"Okay, usually that's supposed to be a good thing. Why is that not a good thing for you?" Sean asked

"Because my editor thinks I wrote the story, but I had no say or thought in this story" Tyler said as he held the pages up as example

"Oh, so you stole the story. Now who's falling into the stereotypes" Sean concluded "Tell your editor it's not your story, problem solved. Now I'll finish my beer and tend to my ice" he said as he attempted to get up

"Sean!" Tyler replied wanting his friend to take him seriously "I didn't write this story, but someone else did. Someone is sitting on a possible media frenzy" he said

"Then where did you find the story?" Sean asked

"I found it...I found it at Eleanor's" Tyler replied

"Eleanor's...who the hell is Eleanor?" Sean asked

"Long story, but I found it there at her office" Tyler told him

"Okay, well here's a short answer. The person that wrote the story was a resident of the office, someone that frequents said office" Sean said as the waiter put his beer down on the table "Thanks" he told the waiter as he pushed his gym bag under the table.

"But no one in that house can write..." Tyler began to think to himself before a possible solution came to his mind "And it's moments like this where I appreciate you so much. Why didn't I think of that?" he laughed to himself

"Yeah, yeah whatever. Have you dealt with your mommy issues?" Sean asked as Tyler glared back at his friend

"I don't have mommy issues" Tyler replied throwing a peanut at his friend "And yes, I found her" he told him

"Good, now you can call someone else to bug. How was she? was she cool?" Sean asked

"She was...she was what I expected" Tyler told him "But I don't think I'm going to pursue a relationship with her. It'd be too complicated" he reasoned

"But you've been looking for ever since high school, ever since what happened..." Sean began to say

"I know, but I think I was looking just to know. Now that I know, it doesn't really matter anymore. My parents raised me, and I turned out fine...that's all that matters" Tyler told his friend

"All right, I'll take your word for it" Sean sighed "You're the elder out of us, I'm but a mere twenty two year old trying to make his way into the NBA" he laughed

"And hopefully when you go from practice bench to primetime tv bench, you'll give me the first locker room interview" Tyler teased

"Really? you want to take it there. No one even talks to the bench players" Sean laughed as he threw an array of peanuts at Tyler, who did his best to dodge his attempts.

* * *

Pulling up in front of the church, Dan looked on at the Gossip Girl spotted map once more to make sure that he got the right church on his sister's whereabouts. Taking the bull by the horns, Dan got out of the taxi and made no effort to look back. Opening up the double doors to the church, Dan awkwardly looked around to see where he would most likely find Jenny. Scanning furiously, Dan grew impatient as he felt the temptation of cursing to himself in the Lord's house. Looking over to see the chambers that lead to a dressing room, Dan quickly made his way through another pair of double doors that lead him down a hallway. Peeking in the rooms that were opened, Dan stopped to take a moment to think as to what his plan would be. Just as he took those few moments to gather this thoughts, Dan could hear a bit of humming come from a room close to him. Recognizing the melody, Dan knew there was no doubt in his mind that it was her in that room. Opening the door, Dan stood still as he saw his sister dressed for her wedding day as she wore a simple white dress. Hearing the sound of his footsteps, Jenny turned in surprise to see Dan standing there in the doorway.

"Dan" Jenny said as a lump formed in her throat before a moment of silence came between them

"Get your stuff, we're going home" Dan told her as he tried to brush past the emotions while he tried to gather her stuff much to her protests

"Dan" Jenny said as she tried to get his attention

"Where's your jacket, it's cold outside" Dan said as he began to rummage through her bag

"Dan" Jenny told him once more as she hoped to get him to stop

"Fine, we don't need it. Just get your stuf" Dan told her as he handed her one of her bags

"I'm not going...I'm going to get married" Jenny told him sternly

"No, you are not" Dan replied

"This is not your choice. Dad signed off on it" Jenny replied as Dan groaned in frustration

"Jen, think about this. You're getting married at the age of sixteen. What life will you possibly have with him?" Dan questioned

"A happy one. A life that you share with Blair" Jenny stated "A love that you share with her" she went on to say

"Blair and I aren't married? we're dating, we're not some odd pairing that everyone frowns upon" Dan exclaimed "Chuck will never be the guy you want him to be, you can't change someone into what you want them to be. He is, who he is" he told her

"And you know nothing about the person he is!" Jenny yelled "He's a good person, and I wished you'd take the time to see that. All you do is judge, judge. People make mistakes, people will screw up because that's just human nature!...allow people to change Dan, for your sake and for mine" she told him

"I do believe people can change, but I don't believe that because they do that you have to off and marry them" Dan said "Marrying Chuck is not you helping him, it's you trying to live out some fantasy" he told her

"Is that so wrong?" Jenny asked "To want to believe that love can be as simple as being with a person that makes you happy?" she questioned "Is it wrong to want a fantasy as opposed to the constant reality that the only love we've been privileged to see has been nothing but lies on top of lies. Cheating, unhappiness, and soul searching at the age of forty...I don't want our parent's type of love, I want to believe that I can love harder than that" she said

"We're not our parents" Dan replied

"Do you honestly believe that?" Jenny laughed to herself "Our father is going on bar tours, and is still mending a broken heart from a woman that just grew out of love with him. We're always going to be like them, whether we want to or not" she questioned

"So that gives you reason to marry Chuck? if anything you're acting more like them than anything" Dan questioned

"I'm marrying him because with him, I know where I stand. He looks at me like I'm all he needs to be happy, and I've never felt that...I love feeling that, I deserve to feel that" Jenny replied as tears welled up in her eyes

"You can't do this. I won't let you do this" Dan told her as he shook his head

"It's not up to you. You're not my father" Jenny replied

"...yeah well, our father is screwed up at the moment because any parent that allows his sixteen year old to get married is crazy" Dan replied as tears welled up in his eyes while the only shot he had of convincing her otherwise was dwindling away from him. Staring at each other, they each wanted so badly to assure the other that things would be okay but couldn't help but feel like this was the stand still in their relationship. Opening the door to see his kids, Rufus walked in slowly before Dan turned to look at his father with as much anger as he possibly could have in his eyes "You did this! this is your fault!" he said angrily

"Dan, just calm..." Rufus began to say

"She's sixteen! sixteen. How am I suppose to calm down, when my baby sister is about to throw her life away" Dan exclaimed

"To you" Jenny replied

"This is it, I refuse to be a part of this craziness any longer. This family has become nothing but one drama after another, and I'm sick of it!" Dan replied "I'm so sick of us chasing after the crazy, why can't we be normal! why can't you be a normal father? why can't you be a normal sister?" he said

"I'm not going to apologize for loving him, and if you can't handle that...then maybe you shouldn't be here" Jenny said as tears streamed down her face "I love you. I love you with all my heart, but if you can't support my relationship with him...then we have nothing" she told him

"So you choose him? you choose him over me?" Dan asked

"I don't choose him, I choose to be happy because Lord knows we all need to at least try that after the year we've had" Jenny told him "If you can stand beside me, then I would more than happy to..." she began to say

"Then we have nothing because I don't support it" Dan quickly replied

"Guys, calm down" Rufus told them "We will get through this" he said

"No, I really don't think we will because as of now...I'm done with this family. I'm the judgemental ass, so consider me out" Dan replied as he tried to walk past his father

"You can't walk away from your family" Rufus replied

"I just did...I'll be moving out tonight" Dan told his father before he made his way out of the room. Walking down the hall, Dan made his way into the main area of the church before he looked over to see Chuck standing at the altar. Surprised to see Dan, Chuck was unsure if he should say anything to him or to let him go. Seeing the inner struggle within, Dan gritted his teeth before he walked down the aisle towards Chuck as he wanted to make this short an sweet.

"I don't suppose you're here to celebrate..." Chuck began to say

"There's nothing to celebrate about, I think this is something along the lines of a tragedy" Dan told him "There are not enough expletives in the books that will describe the amount of anger I have towards this union, but I swear to you in this very church...you break her heart, I'll break you" he told him before he walked off.

* * *

**If you ever leave me, baby,**  
**Leave some morphine at my door**  
**'Cause it would take a whole lot of medication**  
**To realize what we used to have,**  
**We don't have it anymore.**

Standing at the altar, Chuck turned his attention towards the end of the aisle as he saw his bride to be slowly walk to her beginning point. Clenching on tight to her father's arm, Jenny looked over at Rufus to see him giving her the weakest of smiles. Knowing that this wasn't the ideal situation, Jenny was happy that he could at least muster up some sort of smile for her. At the end of the day, Rufus knew that he wasn't the best of parents, but to be there for his daughter was something he'd do until the day he died, whether he approved or not. Walking her down the aisle, Chuck smiled as he couldn't imagine seeing anyone more perfect than what Jenny was to him at this moment. Sharing a smile with each other, Jenny couldn't help but feel a sense of calmness as she looked at Chuck, knowing she was walking towards something greater than she could ever imagine in her life.

**There's no religion that could save me**  
**No matter how long my knees are on the floor(Ooh)**  
**So keep in mind all the sacrifices I'm makin'**  
**To keep you by my side**  
**To keep you from walkin' out the door.**

As the elevator doors opened up, Dan looked up to see Eleanor walking towards her office. Surprised to see the young man, Eleanor stopped short to see that something was troubling him. Written all over his face, Eleanor could tell that he had fought yet another battle that he inevitably lost all in a day. Torn with what they should do, Dan stepped off the elevator before they both stood in awkward silence. Dan knew that ignoring her was no option as this was her house, but Dan didn't want the comforts of someone else that had let him down either. Coming down the staircase, Dan quickly turned his attention over towards Blair, who was walking towards him. Noticing a sense of tension between her mother and Dan that was unusual since her mother treated Dan like he was one of her own, Blair wanted to figure it out but knew that Dan had probably come for other reasons. Excusing herself from the awkward threesome, Eleanor made her way back over towards the stairs to head up to bed so that the two could have privacy.

Extending her hand out towards her boyfriend, Dan tookd Blair's hand in his as he appreciated the fact that she ignored all the questions that she wanted to ask him and just settled for comforting him. Walking towards her, Dan wrapped her up in his arms as if she was his security blanket that he so desperately needed.

"You're my family now" Dan muttered as Blair pulled him closer towards her, knowing that things didn't go right at the church

"Always" Blair replied in a whisper

**'Cause there'll be no sunlight**  
**If I lose you, baby**  
**There'll be no clear skies**  
**If I lose you, baby**  
**Just like the clouds**  
**My eyes will do the same, if you walk away**  
**Everyday it'll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain**

Remembering his stint at Constance and St. Jude's as a helper on the senior project, Tyler suddenly felt the inspiration to go through the final senior project. Going through the stacks of papers, Tyler read through each paragraph feverishly as the sudden idea had come to him in the middle of the night. In his mind, Tyler knew that the writing had seemed familiar to him, that the words that were expressed in Insider were that of that of the same mind that he once read before. He could've laughed at why he thought reading Senior statements from a class all ready graduated would help, but Tyler could shake the tone the author had in its voice. It was like they didn't belong in the world of the Upper Eastside, but were trying to figure out if they even had a place in the world alone. It had touched Tyler once before, even from the standpoint of it being a five hundred word essay that was going in a yearbook. Finally coming upon the paper he had marked with such high praises, Tyler began to realize that the person who had wrote the book was none other than his own fill in, Dan Humphrey.

**I'll never be your mother's favorite**  
**Your daddy can't even look me in the eye**  
**Ooh, if I was in their shoes, I'd be doing the same thing**  
**Sayin' "There goes my little girl**  
**Walkin' with that troublesome guy"**

With his arms folded, Bart stood in the doorway as he watched the boy sit on the edge of the bed. Normally, Bart would've never even considered getting up from his bed so early in the mourning with work hours coming up, but Bart knew that if he was coming by then it had to be something off with him. Little was said between the two, but Bart didn't feel the need to prod in his business as he was just glad that Dan was reaching out to him. Getting up from the bed, Dan reached over to pick up his bag before he grabbed his pajama's as he knew too well where everything was in the guest bedroom.

"Thank you for letting me stay here tonight" Dan told him feeling as if he owed Bart that much "I don't plan to be here long, but this is really the only place I could come to with everything" he reasoned

"You don't need to explain" Bart told him "You can stay for however long you like" he told him

"I don't intend to. I'm getting my own place...but until then, I would greatly appreciate staying here" Dan said

"Like I said, you're welcome to stay here for however long" Bart told him "Get some sleep, breakfast will be served just in a few hours" he said before he made his way out, closing the door behind him as he left.

**But they're just afraid of something they can't understand**  
**Ooh, but little darlin' watch me change their minds**  
**Yeah for you I'll try I'll try I'll try I'll try**  
**I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding**  
**If that'll make you mine**

The next day, Blair wasted no time in trying to find a solution on how to cheer Dan up. Though he was staying with Bart, Blair knew that putting himself off on Bart wasn't something that he really wanted, so after much thought, Blair knew there was only one solution to the problem. Sitting in the office, Blair sat patiently as she awaited the confirmation on her purchase of the very townhouse that Dan wanted. With the money she was going to be making at the magazine and the money she all ready had access to, Blair saw this as a necessary purchase to give Dan a bit of a boost to his mood.

"Okay, now you just have to sign on the owners line" The realtor said as she slid the paper in front of her

"Now this will only be temporary, me being the owner and everything. Dan wants this and I'm just helping him get there" Blair said as she grabbed the pen to sign

"Nothing like a good woman" The realtor said as Blair finished signing her name to the dotted line that placed her as the owner of the townhouse "And here are the keys to your new townhouse" she said as she handed the keys over.

**'Cause there'll be no sunlight**  
**If I lose you, baby**  
**There'll be no clear skies**  
**If I lose you, baby**  
**Just like the clouds**  
**My eyes will do the same, if you walk away**  
**Everyday it'll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain**

"She's working here. I've done my end of the deal" Bex said as she leaned back in her chair "I still don't understand why Blair Waldorf is high on your list of must hires" she sighed

"Don't ask questions, just do" The Madam said

"Okay, I understand but this is a rookie we're hiring. We're launching in less than a month, we'd be kidding ourselves if we don't take into a account that she has no experience except being a trust fund kid" Bex reasoned

"Eleanor Waldorf is her experience. You will mold her, and you will groom her to be what I want of her" The Madam replied

"You'll need a hell of a lot more than Maxwell winner to make it in this business" Bex laughed "I don't know what your deal is with Eleanor, but I just hope it all works out. Blair will be in for a life experience with you at the helm" she laughed to herself

**Oh, don't just say (don't just say) goodbye (goodbye),**  
**Don't just say (don't just say) goodbye (goodbye)**  
**I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding**  
**If that'll make it right**

"I now pronounce you man and wife" The Preacher said before Chuck leaned in to kiss Jenny.

**'Cause there'll be no sunlight**  
**If I lose you, baby**  
**There'll be no clear skies**  
**If I lose you, baby**  
**Just like the clouds**  
**My eyes will do the same, if you walk away**  
**Everyday it'll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain**

* * *

**Author's Note 2: So I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was good old Humphrey drama. I know a lot of you may think that I'm putting Dan through the ringer, but I assure you that it will all lead to good things. Blair has gone through her storm, but Dan is having his find himself moment in this story. I think it'll suck for a while for him, but trust me that Dan will get his happy on. With this story, I wanted to take Dan and Blair back to the core of what they are and that's best friends. I love that about them, and I think in relationships that start from friendships, some tend to lose that, so even though they'll have their relationship woes they'll still be big factors in each other's lives. Eleanor and Tyler will have interesting interaction because of the obvious reasons of Eleanor giving up Tyler when she was young, but Tyler isn't going to be a villain and Eleanor has her flaws but I hope you guys will still love her. There are only two added characters that will be involved, Tyler and Sean, the rest of the character will be in and out of the story just for plot purposes. Then the big looming question in Blair's storyline will be, Who is The Madam? and what's her connection to Eleanor?**

**Good Luck on Monday guys :)**


	3. Author Note

Hey Guys,

I hope you guys have recovered from the craptastic finale that some had to endure. I have to admit that I didn't watch it, but I kept up with the updates on Tumblr. So I was spared that horrid mess of writing. Though I did see the Chair leaked clip, which all I can say, I started laughing as soon as I finished it. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard and seen such emotionless acting. For the first time in my life, and I mean my life, I have seen numerous teen dramas even bad soap operas, but I have never been ashamed to watch a show. I kid you not, after I had a few hours to think about the clip and then what was updated as to what happened on the actual finale, I deleted every episode I had of Gossip Girl on my DVR. I didn't even think twice about it because I was just so disgusted with the show.

I have never been an avid fan of Gossip Girl [thank God :)] so I can't say I was a loyal fan that had to come to that conclusion, but I came back because of Dan and Blair. I can't say I loved the show, but I accepted their flaws and tried to enjoy it for what it was from time to time. I looked at other finales after Gossip Girl this week, and I was surprised by how much better other finales were compared to Gossip Girl. I literally felt disgusted that I had ignored other shows in favor of a show like Gossip Girl. Shows that had such heart and emotion, hell Glee episode before the finale even had me. I'm not saying this to be dramatic, but I have never been so ashamed or disgusted to be attached to Gossip Girl. I even felt bad for the actors and I've never felt that way on a show, and I've seen plenty of bad shows.

The hugest disgust I felt was towards Blair Waldorf. As a female that watches the show, I've never been so upset with a television character. I mean I literally think she's jumped to the worst female representation on television status, and that's not me trying to be a scorned shipper because I know after this season, in the words of Celine Dion "My heart will go on". I mean literally think, what female character on television today is that bad of a representation? I could say Serena, but the storyline that Blair is in or has been in, the stigmatism that has placed on her relationship with Chuck has been abuse. I have never heard of a couple on tv that has had the tag abuse to it's love story. Hell even Luke and Laura managed to blossom into something better after he raped her. Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer redeemed himself in a season long arc that showed him truly understanding what he did wrong, hell Buffy didn't even genuinely feel for him again until the last two episodes of the show.

As someone that has been an avid Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, in which evokes every woman empowerment emotion in me, the feminist had to come out and say I can't watch this crap. I'm 22 years old, I've dealt with the struggles Blair has dealt with, but I've never lost or wavered on one thing, which is self respect. If there is anything a woman should fight for in her life, it is to keep her self respect. I don't care if you have to be alone in life, if you have self respect that will get you through anything. In that finale, I strongly believe Blair lost every ounce of self respect and that's more disheartening as a female viewer than anything to watch. The way they keep romanticisizing Chair is just beyond disgusting to me to the point where I think even after every character regression that happened in that show, the most damage was to Blair's character. I would hope no respectable girl would let Chuck speak to her the way he spoke to Blair, I just pray and hope that the young viewers are able to decipher that from the context of the propaganda that the show puts out about that particular relationship. I don't care if they're passionate, sexy, and epic...if a guy talks to you like that, he doesn't respect you. If a guy loves you like Chuck says he loves you, he'd walk to Mars before even thinking of talking to you in the manner that Chuck speaks to Blair. I don't care how you paint it, that relationship is abusive, maybe not in the physical but in the emotional aspect for sure. I think every fan or a heavy majority tunes in to watch for Blair. This might be a stretch, but the clip I saw, I think even Leighton Meester knew her character was taking a nosedive because she was as monotone as ever in that scene. Hell, the storyline I had for Blair in this story was about her coming into her own to become that strong and independent woman that she was destined to be, with or without Dan by her side.

My vision of Blair was always that she may be vulnerable, but she was strong because she loved herself enough to believe in herself. When I began with From the Beginning, my vision of Blair was to have her deal with her insecurities with the help of Dan, but ultimately become comfortable in her own skin to realize that she too was beautiful. Second Time Around was her finally flexing her muscle as the Queen Bee to take down Georgina, as we all know, she orchestrated the plot to get justice for her belated friend. In those stories, I think in every story on this board, Blair is strong. Nothing about what I saw in the finale left me being able to say that she was strong in any sense. She was vulnerable, but in the worst way possible.

So to make this long rant come to an end, I have to step away from the story for a bit. I wanted to release this on Tuesday, but I wanted to think about it and think if I was over reacting a bit. But I still feel the same, and I can't at this point write for a character that I just feel disgusted with. I hope you will read my other works, and I hope to keep some of you as readers for the future.

-Scrappy12


	4. The Lost Boys

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys. Yes, I know surprising that I'm back. Through gritted teeth and many days trying to comprehend the character of Blair, I slowly but surely made my way back to this story. I think the thing that lead me back was the fact that I have to write for other shows for an internship that I'm trying to get staffed as a tv writer, and even though I'm not in love with the characters, I have to write for them. I started to realize that even though I'm not in love with Blair at the moment or any moment, I do like the Blair in the stories I've created.**

**Now I'm still uber upset and appalled by the character of Blair on the show because I still believe that the finale totally wrecked her character for me, but I'm not as upset as I was, it's like eh...whatever now for me. Dan screwed up as well, but as a female, I would've wished for Blair to choose to be alone than do what she did. I talked with a friend and he only watched a music video of Chuck and Blair only to say the exact same thing that everyone says about Chuck and Blair's relationship as he viewed as an abusive relationship just in a matter of four minutes, which I found to be astonishing. Then I found the fact that Leighton Meester doesn't even seem like she liked what happened to her character and is trying to distance herself from Gossip Girl as much as possible when she does interviews comforting to me. Then I find it interesting that no one from the cast except Leighton has spoke about the finale, and even in the tone she uses to talk about the show, it seems she knows the show is pretty much garbage. Hell her song "Entitled", which is good by the way, seems to be the anti song to Chuck and Blair, basically about a love gone wrong and having the strength to believe you deserve more .So bits and pieces have brought me back to the story.**

**I truly appreciated and took to heart what some of you wrote in response to me not letting the show dictate what is written in our fan fiction world. Those comments/reviews really made me think and I just realized that I like the world I've created for the Gossip Girl characters. I like my Chuck and Blair, who I assure you will never hook up or get together in my story, but because the actual story doesn't put them in those situations.**

**Each relationship in the story I take pride in because they all have a beginning, middle, and end. Stuff doesn't come out of nowhere unlike some show on the CW where it makes no sense at all. I was actually watching Dawson's Creek season four, and I absolutely loved how they built up Joey/Pacey relationship and how they gradually showed Pacey's insecurities getting the best of him to where it ended his relationship with Joey. I liked it because it made sense, and I could understand that instead of one week they're all happy then the next she's in love with Dawson. It was a season long arc of showing how Pacey feels inferior to not just Dawson but to Joey, and ultimately he needed to find himself in order to be with Joey. Then of course in the end he realized that he never truly fell out of love with Joey, and he was successful in his own way and the rest is tv history . Did I like Pacey/Joey breaking up, no, but I respected it and saw the build up of it coming. But with Blair it's just one WTH moment after another where it doesn't do the character justice, but makes her look pathetic and stupid, which are words I never thought I'd use for Blair.**

**I really can't see myself watching S6 because I think other shows deserve much love than crap like Gossip Girl. I think shows like Gossip Girl make it bad for teen shows to get the respect they deserve such as The Vampire Diaries because they make a joke out of story telling, so they all get grouped together as bad. It's hard to root for Blair because I have no sympathy for her character, so I don't see myself feeling sorry for her when she encounters her troubles because it's a mess of her own making. It's just the logical things that the writers destroyed that leaves me wondering what the hell the audience is supposed to root for in S6. Blair has no friends, Blair lost the sympathy or understanding of her character, Blair has no leg to stand on if she's supposed to be upset with Dan or Serena, Blair and Chuck finding their way back to each other has been the damn storyline since S2, nothing really is left to say or tell in that relationship but yet we have another seasons worth of it. Sorry if I'm being bitter or ranting but I'm just in thought mode right now on what the hell are the writers going to do for ten episodes that would be considered new. That finale probably scared off fans because it was that bad, I knew it was going to be bad, but I didn't think it would be that bad, I was like damn this is really the worst finale in tv history. Blair in one episode became the worst female tv representation, so I'm just trying to understand til this day. Then on top of that, Josh Safran is going to write for Smash, and I actually like that show, so now I'm screwed in that area as well.**

**But to make a bitter rant short, I still like Dair. I still think they can be salvaged. I know some of you may be over them, which I don't blame you, but Dair is the only logical thing about the show for me. I'm a casual viewer of Gossip Girl, which means I walked away before and I only came back because of Dair. I'm a firm believer and have used the tactic of destroying characters to build them back up, but only in the logical sense not in the crappy ass Gossip Girl sense. If they don't end up together, I'll be fine because I've read pretty good fan fiction that makes watching Gossip Girl a waste of time when you could be reading what you want to actually read as storywise the story should've went towards Dair because they make more sense and have an untold story, then they mirror what Dan/Serena were supposed to be about in the beginning of two people defying two worlds to be together while enduring the stereotypes of their worlds. Dan and Blair, in my mind, have become the main characters of this series that you root for. I love Chuck as a character to write for, but on the show, his sole story arc has been about Blair for the past five years and it's getting redundant to see the same thing. To be honest, and I'm not just saying this, Chuck was better with Eva and Raina because he had a new avenue to go down as a character, another layer to show to the audience. The same goes for Blair, I liked her with Dan because I finally got to see insight into who Blair really was, the Blair I think should've been developed since season one. I'm a writer at heart, so we suffer the ultimate heartache of characters that suffer from lack of character growth or trying to understand where the writers may take things. So this has pretty much become my series of how I would've ran Gossip Girl in my world.**

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and I look forward to feedback.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Three- Lost Boys**

* * *

Hearing the sounds of the maid shuffling about in his room, Dan's eyes fluttered opened to see the maid open up his curtains along with placing fresh linen in his room. Rubbing his eyes to make sure this was all real, Dan sat up slowly in the bed only to be greeted by a smile from the maid. Finding it off that the maid would so casually do her daily routine with him present, Dan wasn't sure this was something he could get used to, especially since Dorota wasn't so big on cleaning while person was present. Letting out a yawn, Dan reached over to grab his phone only to realize that it was plugged up for him. Not remembering if he had put his phone on charge, Dan once again looked up at the maid to see her smiling as if she were giving silent thanks to him. Getting out of the bed, Dan quickly unplugged his phone from the charger and headed into the bathroom. As soon as he entered the bathroom, Dan was caught off guard to see his clothes all ready laid out for him so prim and properly. Feeling as if he was in some twilight series, Dan took a moment to take in the type of housekeeping that Chuck had grown up to, and could somehow come to the conclusion on why Chuck always figured the world had to cater to him. Dialing the familiar number, Dan put the phone up to his ear as he paced the bathroom floor.

"Good morning" Blair said more chipper than usual as she answered the phone

"Good..good morning. Why are you so chipper?" Dan asked

"Because it's a glorious morning, and the fact that my father is coming into town" Blair smiled "Dorota and I are preparing daddy's favorite dishes, everything must be to his liking" she told him

"Why is he coming in?" Dan asked a bit skeptical at the fact if whether Blair knew the family secret

"He said he wanted to spend some time with me. I guess he's proud that his baby girl is moving into the workforce, you know all that parenting stuff. How is life with Bart going?" Blair asked

"It's strange" Dan replied as he opened the door a smidge to peek out on the maid still cleaning "Everyone so robotic. They aim to please and clean all the time" he whispered

"I knew Dorota would benefit working a day over at the Bass townhouse. What's so strange about it? Are they trying to pass of Galmore's croissants as better than Rogers?" Blair asked

"I haven't really gotten around to the croissants, nor do I want to. I just have to survive this place" Dan muttered as he closed the door

"Maybe not for much longer" Blair smiled "I have some news for you" she told him

"Okay, what is it?" Dan asked "I could use something to distract me from the doom marriage my sister has entered into, do you think they…you know?" he then asked

"Humphrey, I don't care to discuss that measure of detail. I prefer to think the circle of life took a slow process with those two" Blair replied

"Circle of life? That doesn't even pertain to…" Dan began to question

"I have good news for you that will cheer you up" Blair quickly stated

"Do you have some form of a scheme to break up this marriage? I could enjoy that aspect, I prefer my girlfriend the schemer right now" Dan smiled with hope that she had formulated a scheme

"Humphrey, this has to pertain to you and me!" Blair snapped at him

"What about?" Dan asked

"Just show up for lunch today at noon or maybe when you come in for work….how exactly is that working these days? You and the working for my mom?" Blair asked a bit confused

"Noon sounds good" Dan quickly replied not wanting to get into a big discussion of why he didn't work for Eleanor anymore

"Okay, well until then…" Blair began to say

"Mr. Humphrey, do you want your pillow fluffed or swapped out!" The maid called out from the room as Blair overheard

"Really? That's an option" Dan whispered

"Opt for the swapped out, as a person that sleeps with you, you drool and need to formulate new puddles on new pillows" Blair replied with a bit of laughter

"Waldorf" Dan sighed

"Yeah, yeah. You know you like it" Blair teased "I love you" she added so casually

"Love you" Dan replied as he leaned up against the bathroom door

* * *

Slicing his waffle with his fork, Chuck quickly dabbed at the piece of food before he stuffed it into his mouth. Sitting at the small table in his apartment, Chuck couldn't help but laugh to himself as he saw Jenny standing with a hand on hip while trying to figure out the arrangement of the living room. Since they had spent the summer in London, Chuck and Jenny opted for the lay low type of honeymoon that had them on a strict budget for Christmas plans. Seeing the frustration build within her as she tried to figure out a suitable spot for the sofa, Chuck continued to laugh as he felt wherever she put it, it would only annoy her further with how it will end up dusty. Chuck never understood the concept of arranging, when everything was always set up for him but he began to realize that décor was big on Jenny's to do list as a newlywed.

"I think we need new furniture" Jenny griped

"Oh, and you just came to that conclusion?" Chuck asked as he continued to eat

"Yes, I mean these sofas clearly have no suitable placing then I can only imagine the girls that were on these sofas" Jenny said as she walked over towards where Chuck was sitting

"That's where your wrong. I didn't have girls here, I'd at least spring for a hotel if I had to satisfy that urge" Chuck replied

"That doesn't make me feel any better" Jenny replied finding his honesty was a bit much when he was clearly trying to tease her

"I never had sex on the sofa" Chuck told her

"Good to know, but I still think we should do something with them. Maybe we could do covers or something?…I want this place to feel home like" Jenny told him

"Home like, I like the sounds of that" Chuck smiled "Have you moved all your stuff out?" he then asked

"Most of it. My dad had an emotional breakdown with every box I took, but I have" Jenny replied as she took the fork from his hand to get a bite of the waffle "I'm good at this" she smiled as she took a bite

"Did he like the place?" Chuck asked as Jenny just gave him a look that he quickly picked up on "To the emotional breakdown then" he agreed with her earlier statement

"He hates the idea, but at least he's not an obstacle" Jenny sighed as Chuck slid the plate in front of her so that she could eat

"Have you picked up your schedule for school?" Chuck asked as he got up from the table to pour himself a glass of orange juice

"I'm picking it up today" Jenny told him "I hope I don't have Anderson again, she's a total bore" she sighed

"Anderson was persuasive, just mention your love for the safari, it'll carry you far" Chuck told him

"Safari?" Jenny questioned

"Don't ask, my investigator gave me that bit of info" Chuck replied

"What about you? Have you talked with Carter as of late, business at Victrola is doing so so with you having to carry the load" Jenny asked

"Carter is unreachable, and I think at this point…I like it that way" Chuck told her "I can make the day to day decisions without having to worry about Dominic and his goons coming in to observe" he said

"I can't believe Dom is that believe Dom is doing this to you guys" Jenny replied "There's nothing you can do? I mean this is Carter's deal, can't you arrange for Carter to get the brunt of the arrangement" she asked

"Doesn't work like that, we're business partners. Til death do us part status" Chuck said as he walked over to give her a quick kiss on the lips

"Well…I'm sorry" Jenny replied

"Don't be" Chuck told her "Do you want me to accompany you to school? Make a day of it as husband and wife" he asked

"Husband and wife" Jenny giggled to herself "That sounds beautiful, sounds very Shakespeare" she smiled

"Husband and wife" Chuck said to himself to see if he had the same effect with the labels "I wouldn't say Shakespeare, but I could get with the Midsummer Nights Dream effect" he said as he leaned down to kiss her once more

"You do you, and I'll do me" Jenny replied as she broke the kiss

"Sounds…good" Chuck smiled into yet another kiss with his newlywed wife.

* * *

Slamming the door behind him as he pulled up into the driveway, a disheveled Carter pushed past the two security guards that Dominic had at the front door. Doing their best to stop him in his stride, Carter found that the momentum was all on his side as he continued to walk down the hallway. Meeting another set of security at his office door, Carter found that pushing past these two would be a different story no matter how upset he was. Accepting that he would have to wait until Dominic got out of his meeting, Carter reluctantly took a seat in one of the chairs as he began to tend to the dry blood that was on his scraped up leg from the night before. Hearing a bit of humming come from the top of the staircase, Vanessa walked down the staircase surprised and annoyed to see Carter sitting outside of Dominic's door. Finding that she had to walk past him on her way to the kitchen, Vanessa sighed in frustration as she walked towards him. Slowly rising from his seat, Carter did all he could to groom himself so that he didn't look so badly.

"Working I see" Vanessa replied as she forced a smile

"I have to talk to your dad" Carter replied nervously "How are you?" he then asked immediately after

"Don't do that. Don't ask me about how I'm doing" Vanessa told him

"Okay, then how was your summer?" Carter asked

"Don't ask that either" Vanessa replied "I don't want to make small conversation with you because at the end of the day, you're just another person on my dad's payroll" she replied

"Ness…" Carter began to say before the slamming sound of the door caught their attention as Nikki walked in to see the two of them

"What the hell happened out there?" Nikki asked "Carmine told me there was a raid on the warehouse?" he asked

"Carmine? Wow, you really are in deep" Vanessa laughed to herself before she walked off in disgust

"Ness, family dinner tonight" Nikki called out as Vanessa waved him off to show that she heard him loud and clear "What happened?" he then asked once again as he turned his attention back to Carter

"I don't know. I was there for about thirty minutes before the cops came in with the dogs and stuff. It was like they knew we were there" Carter sighed

"Did you make it obvious?" Nikki asked

"Yes because I like to make it obvious to the world that I'm doing drug drop offs" Carter replied sarcastically as Dominic made his way out of his office to join the two

"My warehouses…" Dominic began to say angrily

"We know" Nikki replied trying to calm his father down "Carter said that the cops came thirty minutes later after it was set up" he sighed

"How? Carmine was suppose to secure this warehouse, I don't have time for my business to be fucked with!" Dominic asked

"The war has left us vulnerable, they're shooting up everything that moves now" Nikki sighed

"May I ask how I got moved to drug watcher? My specialty was computers and numbers not coke, I mean I like coke but coke as in cola" Carter asked

"This was intentional" Dominic concluded "He's coming after me like I'm some little bitch" he said hitting his fist against the wall before he got lost in deep contemplation "Less in case someone is trying to get back their freedom in stupid ways?" he began to question as he turned his attention towards Carter

"Excuse me, what?" Carter asked in disbelief "You've gotten a percentage of my business, I don't think I'd be willing to get any percentage of my life taken away either to that list" he said

"It's strange that with you as the lead man, my warehouse gets raided" Dominic said

"It's strange because I'm a Upper Eastside kid hanging with a bunch of mafia guys, that'll look strange in any neighborhood" Carter reasoned

"Pop, Carter had nothing to do with this" Nikki defended

"Yeah well, I don't care. I want this handled, and I want him to handle it for me" Dominic told him as he eyed Carter

"What are you thinking?" Nikki asked

"I'm thinking that Carmine needs to be reminded of his job importance" Dominic said as he kept his stare on Carter

"What are you saying?" Nikki asked "Take care of Carmine?" he questioned

"Yes, and I want Carter to handle it" Dominic said "Handle it by tonight, then get me another shipment going" he said as he slowly backed into his office once more for another meeting.

"What was that whole take care of thing going on?" Carter asked "Does he think I ratted the raid out?" he asked

"He thinks a lot of things, but this war has him a bit on edge" Nikki sighed

"But what does that mean for me, what do I have to take care of?" Carter asked

"How good are you with baseball bats?" Nikki asked as he looked at Carter.

* * *

Heading up the staircase, Dan sighed in relief that he was somewhere familiar as opposed to being waited on hand and foot by Bart's staff. Dan grew to like the Upper Eastside world, but Dan still felt overwhelmed with uneasiness as he wasn't one to rely on paid helpers to do things for him. Making his way towards her room, Dan couldn't help but overhear the laughter come from within as Blair spoke so lively to her father about her college experiences that she had in her time at Yale. For the most part, Dan could tell that Blair was like a little girl again with her father as all she wanted to do was tell him of things that were sure to make him proud. Hating to eavesdrop, Dan lightly knocked against the door before he slowly opened it to see the smiling faces to greet him.

"And there's the man I've been hearing so much about" Harold smiled happily as he got up to greet Dan with a firm handshake

"Hello Mr. Waldorf" Dan smiled

"Blair was just telling me about her summer, quite the adventures" Harold smiled

"Yeah, she's been busy with Yale and then New York" Dan said

"How have you been?" Harold asked

"Good sir. Focusing on my studies and that's it" Dan told her

"Well I hope that the move will do you both good. I'm happy for the both of you" Harold told him as Blair looked on at her father intently

"Daddy!" Blair replied

"Move? Has she told you about our plans to move in together?" Dan asked

"Yes, which will be a miracle to see how she plans to pack up all her things in such short notice" Harold laughed "I just hope you don't make Dorota do all the manual labor" he said

"Short notice wouldn't be the word, I still have a bit to pay on it but I assure you that I've established a relationship with the realtor. She hasn't called with any deadlines, so that's good news" Dan replied

"I'd hope not" Harold laughed "Being the owners of an all ready purchased town home, having the realtor call after the sale is disturbing" he said

"After the purchase?" Dan asked in a bit of confusion before Blair quickly got up from her seat

"And we'll meet you downstairs for lunch" Blair told her father as she ushered him out of the room

"Hurry down, you're mother has guests coming" Harold replied before he left the room

"Someone got the townhouse?…did they take the sign down?" Dan asked in a panic before he quickly pulled his cell phone out "I should call the realtor…" he began to reason

"Dan, there's no need to" Blair told him

"Yes there is, the house I'm planning to move in to so that I can escape the Bart over watch is officially off the market" Dan reasoned

"But it's in good hands" Blair smiled as Dan looked at her with a confused look "Very good hands" she said as she opened up her desk drawer to pull out a set of keys "I got the townhouse" she said as Dan stood shocked.

"You got it?" Dan asked

"I wanted to surprise you, but I just went ahead and got the townhouse" Blair told him

"Clearly, but why?" Dan asked her

"Because I wanted to cheer you up, and judging by the phone call this morning, you could use a new place to lay your head" Blair smiled as she was unsure of how Dan felt about this while she tried to read his eyes for some sort of a clue "Are you happy?" she asked

"I'm….I'm something" Dan said trying to find the right words "Did you not think I could afford it?" he then asked

"No, of course…" Blair began to say

"Then why?" Dan asked before a knock came to the door that interrupted them

"Ms. Blair, you must come down" Dorota knocked furiously as Blair hesitantly walked over to open the door wider

"We'll be down shortly" Blair told her

"You must come now. Your mother wants you to come down now" Dorota said before Blair looked over at Dan, hoping that they could table their discussion until later. Making their way out of the room, Dan followed behind Blair as they walked down the staircase and into the dining area to see the spread. As they entered the dining room, Dan couldn't help but feel uneasy with what he was sure to be an awkward lunch. Surprised to see T.W. standing off in the corner along with her father, Blair stopped short as she stood in confusion.

"T.W what are you doing here?" Blair asked as she looked over at her mother "Is this some interview or something going on?" she asked

"Do I ever do interviews at lunch?" Eleanor asked as she took her seat before she looked over to see Dan sitting across from her "Daniel" she greeted with a smile

"Ms. Waldorf" Dan greeted awkwardly as they all took their seats

"Where is Cyrus?" Blair asked as she took a sip of her water

"He had a meeting to tend to. He thought it'd be best for it to be a family event today" Eleanor smiled as Tyler and Dan shared an awkward glance at each other.

"Family event, and yet we have a reporter at the table. Aren't we skewing away from that definition" Blair laughed to herself "All we're missing is Roman, but daddy mentions he's off on tedious photo shoots. Should we be worried for fashion week?" she teased her father

"Roman? Who is he?" Tyler asked as he looked over at Harold

"…my boyfriend" Harold answered hesitantly unsure of what he would think as the mood seemed to shift.

"Okay, so let's lighten the mood a bit because I have news" Blair said after accessing the tension that was her parents, T.W., and Dan as they all sat around the table "Dan and I are moving in together" she then declared hoping that it would excite her parents.

"I really don't think now was the time to bring that up" Dan muttered to Blair as he put his napkin down on top of his plate

"I think now was the perfect time to reveal that news. Anything exciting would be better than this gloom fest that is surrounding this table" Blair reasoned "I mean what other news could top that?" she asked

"T.W. is your brother" Harold quickly replied causing Blair to sit stunned while the tension in the room slowly began to deflate. Looking at T.W., the reporter as she came to saw him as, Blair looked at him skeptically before looking back at her mother and father.

"Dorota, I need a drink, scotch or anything that will numb family drama!" Blair called out

"Blair" Eleanor sighed

"Nevermind, give me Jack Daniels, I need something to erase the visions of my parents having sex more than once" Blair quickly followed as she began to fan herself before then moving on to guzzle down her water out of her glass "How? I mean daddy are you straight now? How?" she asked nervously

"Clearly by age, I was straight once upon a time" Harold sighed

"Oh Harold, you've been as flamboyant as an Elton John concert" Eleanor replied

"Age? How old are you? Is this like some illegitimate child type of deal?" Blair asked "I'm not understanding this?" she asked

"Maybe you guys should talk amongst yourselves" Dan said as he attempted to get up but Blair had prevented him from doing so

"How old?" Blair asked sternly

"Twenty five" Tyler sighed

"As in six years older…oh, my God!" Blair processed the age "How do you hide a son out for six years?" she asked

"Look, it's really not that big of a deal" Tyler replied

"Spoken like the pop up son that you are" Blair replied

"Your mother and I were at the beginning of our careers, she found out she was pregnant. We both decided that we weren't ready to be parents with our lifestyles tearing up apart, but she wanted to carry the child to term. We ended up putting the baby up for adoption" Harold said as Tyler couldn't help but feel a pain in his heart to hear the brief mention that was his life to his birth parents being told so effortlessly

"We tried to keep in contact, but we lost contact after a while" Eleanor said

"We assumed that Tyler would go on to live his life, and we'd never see him….I hate to make it sound that way, but that's what it was" Harold said

"…how long did you know?" Blair asked after a moment of silence as she turned to look at Dan with knowing eyes

"This past summer" Dan muttered

"I guess everyone has been holding on to their secrets" Blair said as she threw down her napkin and pushed her chair back from the table.

"Where are you going?" Eleanor asked

"I'd tell, but then I'd like to have my own secret for once" Blair replied before she made her way out of the dining area. Massaging his head in frustration as this was exactly what he wanted to try to avoid, Tyler then put his napkin down on the table.

"And I think that's the part where I leave as well" Tyler sighed

"Why?" Eleanor asked as both Harold and her turned to look at their son with much concern that even Dan felt out of place.

"Because I didn't sign up for this. I don't even know why I came today…" Tyler began to say

"Because you should get to know your family. This is your family…" Harold began to say

"No, this isn't my family. I don't want this to be my family. My parents, my biological parents, gave me up for their careers!" Tyler reasoned "Why would I want to be a part of that….clearly this has done a number on Blair, so worry about her. Just leave me out of this" he said before he got up from his seat

"There's only so many times you can walk away" Eleanor said

"I'm sure there is, but then maybe I don't want to be a part of what I thought I was walking into" Tyler told her "Thank you for the invitation, but today was a mistake" he said before he shared an awkward glance with Dan once more. Finding that there was nothing left to say, Tyler headed out of the dining area as he got ready to leave.

"Do you have anything to say?" Eleanor asked as she leaned back in her chair to see Dan sitting vigil with his chin resting on his fist "I mean surely there's something you have to say?" she asked

"I don't, but I should go check on my girlfriend" Dan replied as he followed suit with everyone prior to him and got up from the table to leave.

* * *

Feeling the tension fill within the penthouse, Dan was somewhat glad to see that drama didn't exist in just his family. Though he hated seeing the Waldorf's in this state, Dan couldn't help but feel like this all could've been avoided if Eleanor and Harold would've been truthful about if from the beginning. Dan didn't dislike Eleanor or Harold because of it, but Dan couldn't help but sympathize with Tyler as he knew exactly what it felt like to have a parent that didn't want to assume their natural responsibilities they were supposed to take on. Walking towards Blair's room, Dan opened the door slowly to see that she was pacing the floor spouting out French phrases. Still amazed with all the knowledge she possessed, Dan couldn't help but take a moment to take in all the phrases she knew before he finally made his presence known to her. Closing the door behind him, Dan walked over to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Is there any more phrases you want to throw out?" Dan asked

"Don't do that, I'm pissed with you. Why didn't you tell me that I had a brother?" Blair exclaimed

"Because it wasn't my secret to tell. Your mother wanted to tell you on her own time, things just got sped up since you returned to New York for good" Dan replied

"Oh, so if I would've stayed back in New Haven then I wouldn't know about the latest member of the Waldorf's?" Blair asked

"Putting all jokes aside, probably not" Dan replied

"T.W. Adams is my brother. A journalist is a Waldorf" Blair said as she tried to process the thought to herself

"What's wrong with journalists?" Dan quickly asked

"Nothing, I just never thought him of all people. He's all initialized, fooling people as some yearbook person" Blair replied as she flopped down on the space beside him on the bed

"Tyler Waldorf. That'd be his name" Dan told her

"Sounds like a decent name…but we still know nothing about him besides the obvious tabloid fodder he produces" Blair said

"Again, another jab at the journalist. What's with that?" Dan asked

"I can't help it, it's me venting right now" Blair sighed "I just can't believe my parents did this. Had a kid and then acted like he never existed" she said

"I can't really speak for your mom, but when I found out, she genuinely seemed disheartened because of what she had done" Dan told her

"Okay, that's great that she feels that but what about Tyler? I mean what about our family?" Blair questioned

"I'm sure that once you talk to them it will all get figured out" Dan told her

"I'm not even sure I can talk to them about this now. I mean this is an actual human being they hid from me, there's nothing they can say in this moment that will make understand what they did as okay" Blair replied

"I know, but you still have to listen. Just talk to them and ask your questions" Dan told her as he rubbed her back

"You seem to be calm about this, especially for someone who quit because of this very fact" Blair noticed "Was this the straw that broke the camels back for you?" she asked

"For my own reasons, I couldn't work here. It had a little bit to do with finding out about Tyler, but I just couldn't ignore what I went through with my own mother" Dan sighed "But again, I don't want you basing your decision on all of this off of me" he told her

"Fine, I'll make my own conclusion but I can assure you I'll need a lot of explanations" Blair said

"When exactly were you going to tell me about the townhouse?…the whole you paying for it deal" Dan asked

"I was going to tell you today, I was hoping it would've been more civil setting but that wasn't the case" Blair said

"But why'd you do it? I mean I told you that I was saving to get the place. I had the money to get it on my own" Dan asked

"You were upset about what happened with Jenny, so I figured I'd give you something to be happy about and since you living with Bart is a not exactly idea" Blair replied as she couldn't help but feel like Dan was thinking otherwise "Are you mad?" she then asked

"No, no. I'm not mad, I'm just surprised" Dan said "I just…I'm in disbelief of it all" he told her

"Good disbelief or bad?" Blair asked as she awaited his response

"Good disbelief" Dan said as he forced a smile before he leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

* * *

Walking down the hallway, Jenny looked on at her schedule as she couldn't help but judge the classes she had received. Mixed with a few groans and excitement, Jenny found that the only problem she foresaw with her schedule was most likely going to be her English class as she hated the teacher. Feeling her cell phone begin to vibrate from a text, Jenny reached in her pocket to see that she had received a text from Chuck. Smiling from ear to ear as he wrote a simple message of how he couldn't wait to see her tonight, Jenny couldn't help but want to rush home to him. Turning the corner in a mad rush, Jenny bumped into another person. Quickly helping the guy pick up his papers off of the floor, Jenny began to realize that it was Eric that she had bumped into. Slowly rising to her feet, Jenny felt overwhelmed as this was the first time she had seen Eric since she had ran away with Chuck for the summer.

"Hey" Jenny said nervously as Eric shuffled his papers around in his folder

"Hey" Eric muttered as he focused on getting his papers in line

"How have you been?" Jenny asked realizing that was the dumbest of questions to ask "I meant, what did you do this summer?" she asked feeling like that wasn't any better

"It's okay. I'm not going to yell at you for the obvious tension between us" Eric replied

"That's good" Jenny replied "I mean I didn't expect you to be okay…or upset…" she tried to correct herself

"I'm not anything" Eric quickly stated "I was upset, I was mad even, but I'm over that" he told her

"…I'm sorry for how it happened. If there is something I could take back, I'd do it differently" Jenny told him after a few moments of silence came between them

"Sadly enough, that didn't help at all" Eric answered so coldly

"And I knew that somewhere along the lines I was going to put my foot in my mouth" Jenny uttered to herself before she looked on at the paper that he held in hands "Transfer?" she asked as Eric quickly tried to tuck the paper away

"It's nothing" Eric replied before Jenny quickly grabbed his folder for herself "Hey, give me that back" he demanded before Jenny turned her back towards him so that she could block him off

"No, what is it?" Jenny asked as she opened the folder to see what it was that she had seen before "Sara Lawrence, in Switzerland. You're transferring to a boarding school?" she asked in disbelief

"It's none of your business" Eric replied before he snatched the folder out of her hands

"Why? Why are you doing this?" Jenny asked in disbelief "I know you're mad, but you're still my best friend" she said as tear welled up in her eyes

"No! I'm the guy that keeps you together. I'm the guy that bends over backwards for you, and all you do is walk all over me like I'm nothing" Eric scolded her

"I never meant to hurt you, you have to believe that" Jenny cried

"And yet you did. What'd you think I'd feel when I learned that my girlfriend ran off with Chuck Bass, then decided to get married on top of that….how did you think I'd feel!" Eric asked

"I'm sorry" Jenny cried

"Sorry isn't enough anymore. I'm sick of hearing it because with you it means nothing" Eric told her "You shouldn't expect me to stay because that…that would make you more selfish than what you all ready are" he said before he walked off.

* * *

Coming down the staircase, Blair looked on to see that her father and mother were sitting off in the living room just acting as their usual selves. Seeing her parents act like this made her literally want to pull her hair out as she just couldn't believe that they were so normal with what they had done. Knowing that she couldn't avoid them forever, Blair reluctantly made her way inside of the living room to join them. For a few moments, they all sat in silence just doing their own thing while Blair just contemplated on how she should approach the looming conversation that had to happen between them all. Wanting to just escape the penthouse all together to be with Dan in their new place together, Blair made lists upon lists of thing she would rather be doing than having this awkward conversation with her parents.

"Are we just going to pretend like today didn't exist or are we going to talk about the fact that you guys kept something from me?" Blair asked after she tossed her magazine to the side while her parents exchanged looks with each other "I see that you clearly thought I would forget. I got news, I don't forget that I have a twenty five year old brother!" she stated

"What more do you want to know?" Eleanor asked

"Uh, what more?" Blair questioned "Why? How?" she asked

"We've discussed this" Eleanor sighed

"Yes, as I was meeting my brother" Blair replied "Do you honestly think we shouldn't discuss this?" she asked

"No, I don't think we should because at the end of the day it'll be the same effect. You look upset, you think I'm a horrible person….and I'm sorry if I don't feel like getting look number a thousand from someone on the matter today. So yeah, I'm not going to discuss anymore" Eleanor replied

"The looks your getting is disbelief because I for the life of me would never peg my parents as two parents that just abandon their kid so they can live the socialite life" Blair exclaimed

"It wasn't like that Care Blair" Harold sighed

"Then explain it to me. Explain why you give up a child, and keep the other?" Blair asked

"You wouldn't understand!" Eleanor yelled as Blair was caught off guard by her mother's aggression on the manner "You wouldn't understand. You say you will, but you wouldn't" she told her

"Does Cyrus know?" Blair asked after a few moments of silence

"Yes, he knows" Eleanor replied as the silence continued to grow. Looking over at her father sit so vigil, Blair wanted him to so desperately be the voice of reason that he always was so that some bit of this made sense to her.

"He's twenty five, which puts us at seven years apart. What happened in those seven years that made it worth it to give your child up?" Blair asked as she looked from Eleanor to Harold

"Life" Harold replied before Eleanor looked over at him

"Do you guys even know how awful you sound right now? I mean do you hear the shit you're…" Blair began to say

"Don't talk like that" Eleanor told her daughter

"No, you don't get to filter this conversation because we should've had it months on top of years ago" Blair said "Did you know about him?" she then asked

"Yes, I had…I had followed him somewhat" Harold replied as Eleanor once again kept her attention on Harold

"Then how? How do you do something like this?" Blair questioned as the silence set in yet again

"I can't. I can't do this" Eleanor replied as she quickly got up from her seat to gather her things

"Why not?" Blair said as she followed behind her mother

"Because I just can't" Eleanor cried before she hit the elevator button for the doors to open up "I know I sound like a horrible parent, and I've accepted that because it's basically true…but I can't" she sobbed as she became impatient with how long it took for the elevator doors to open up

"I need you to talk to me. I need to have a reason to believe that you're good in all of this" Blair told her as she grabbed her mother's hand

"You wouldn't understand" Eleanor said as she looked over at her daughter before the doors opened up "Trust me on this" she said as she wiped away a tear before she boarded the elevator.

* * *

Turning the key in the keyhole, Dan slowly opened up the door to let himself in to the townhouse. Making his way inside, Dan made sure to close the door softly behind him as he didn't want to disrupt any portion of the house. Walking inside, Dan took it all in as it was the first time he could actually say that this was an actual reality for him. Dropping his bag in the middle of the floor, which was the living room area of the house, Dan looked around at the potential that could be for the place. This moment should've felt like an accomplishment for him, it should've felt like one load off his shoulder in growing up to be the man that he wanted to be, but Dan couldn't manage to shrug off the monkey that was on his back that he couldn't ignore. Just as he was taking it in, Dan heard the door quickly open as Blair came storming inside looking angrier than ever.

"Hello" Dan said awkwardly as he looked over at Blair pace the floor in furious pace "Hey, honey. How was your day?" he then joked while Blair continued to pay no attention to what he was saying. Hearing her spout out French phrases as she continued to walk, Dan knew that she was highly upset for her to resort to her second language. Stepping in front of her, Dan braced the side of her shoulders. "Calm down and breath. What's wrong?" he then asked to her

"I did as you asked, and I absolutely hated it" Blair groaned in frustration

"What they say?" Dan asked

"Nothing on the track of remorse. Now I clearly understand why you quit. My parents, but most of all my mother is so infuriating. I mean nothing, no part of her understood what she had done to Tyler" Blair exclaimed

"Did she say that?" Dan asked

"Not in those words. She just kept saying that I wouldn't understand, which is true because I wouldn't put my kid up for adoption just for a career" Blair replied as she just took a deep breath before running her hands through her hair "I just wish I could understand that" she sighed

"And you will. It just takes time to understand" Dan told her as she broke free from his embrace to walk around "You just heard all of this today, it's going to take time but you have to keep talking to your parents and listening to them" he told her

"I'm not liking what I'm hearing" Blair quickly replied "I love my parents, but this…this changes everything in our family. I have a brother. A brother that I know nothing about, a brother that could very well be a true Waldorf at heart….but I know nothing about him" she explained

"Do you want to get to know him?" Dan asked

"I'd like to. I mean at the end of the day, I didn't make this decision in our family…I don't deserve his hatred if he has any, but I just want this family to be normal and not some soap opera where kids pop up from the woodwork. Now I begin to wonder if there's any other kids that my parents may have had. I wonder if my dad has adopted a child with Roman or is my mother thinking of having another child with Cyrus. Then there's my step brother, Aaron….this family is important to me, and I just can't wrap my head around the fact on how they could be so wreckless" Blair went on to say

"Just give it time" Dan told her as he walked up from behind her to hug her while giving her a kiss on the side of her head.

"What do you think of the place?" Blair asked as she finally realized that they were finally in their new place together

"Yeah, it's something" Dan replied trying to sound thrilled as possible for her. Turning to face him, Blair looked him dead in the eyes as she could tell that something was off with him

"Are you still upset about me buying the place?" Blair asked in a moment of seriousness

"It's taking a while to adjust to, but I get it. I get what you were doing" Dan told her as he mustered up a smile

"Are you sure? Because I don't want you to be upset. I just saw this as our opportunity to make this next step in our relationship. We've been through so much thus far, that the opportunity to move to that next level was something I had wanted for so long" Blair said

"Which is the very thing I want" Dan nodded as he intertwined his hand in hers "How are you going to do about school?…you really dropping out of Yale?" he asked

"I wouldn't say dropping out, dropping out. It's just taking an opportunity to work with one of my icons" Blair said "I'll be making a good income that way I can handle the home front until you figure things out" she smiled

"I can handle my part. I don't need you to pay for any portion of what's expected" Dan replied

"And I fully intend to hold you to that, but Dan, you're working at a taco restaurant, which I'm sure is minimum wage at best. I know you have school, and I want you focus on your studies" Blair told him as Dan just ran his hand through his hair as the pressures of living together were starting to pile on without them really living together.

"I have money Blair. It's not a lot, but I've saved up enough money for this month's rent and next month. I can't say that I'm making the money I'd make working for your mom, but I'm going to try and I don't want you feeling like you have to cover any part of my responsibilities" Dan told her

"Okay" Blair agreed as she didn't want to let her need to organize every aspect of their lives together in this moment "This is our home, and this is our new beginning" she smiled

"Our new beginning" Dan agreed

"I love you. I love you so much" Blair said as she wrapped him up into a hug as he burry his head in the crook of her neck. "This is going to be great" she told him

"I believe that….I love you too" Dan muttered as he did all he could to try to breath at this point.

* * *

Clenching on tight to his pillow, Chuck was lost in his slumber as he tried to rest up for yet another work day at a struggling Victrola. Rolling over onto his side, Chuck reached out beside him to feel her body next to him but found that no one was beside him. Chuck's eyes slowly flickered open before the light switch quickly turned on. Rolling back over on his back, Chuck could barely see that Jenny was pacing the floor as she was literally a nervous wreck. Sitting up in the bed, Chuck rubbed his eyes as he tried to wake himself up to see what had his wife so flustered. Noticing that Chuck was awake, Jenny felt even more guilt in this moment as the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him from his nights rest after all he has to deal with at the club.

"What are you doing up so early?" Chuck asked still half asleep

"I couldn't sleep" Jenny replied "I'm sorry" she then said

"Clearly you can't sleep. Does this have to do with Eric?" Chuck asked as a yawn escaped him

"No" Jenny replied as she didn't want Chuck to be hurt about her thinking about her ex boyfriend

"Jenny" Chuck said knowing that she was lying

"Okay, yes. I was thinking about Eric" Jenny replied "He's moving halfway across the world to Sarah Lawrence…Switzerland. He's going to Switzerland!" she exclaimed

"I'm aware. Never thought Lilly would take the boarding school route again, but nothing seems out of the norm now" Chuck said

"No, this wasn't a Lilly thing. Eric did this. He felt the need to move across the world just to avoid me" Jenny said

"Can you blame him?" Chuck asked

"I thought you were suppose to help me?" Jenny asked

"I am, I just…think about it from his perspective. You leave with me to another country, we get married, then we get married again legally. Think about it from his perspective, I wouldn't want to be in the same country with that going on if it were me" Chuck told her

"I know. I know that no matter how this plays out, I'll be in the wrong. I'm always going to feel the guilt of how I hurt him, but I want to make this right. I need to make this right with him" Jenny told him

"And you will, you just can't give up on him in that aspect" Chuck told her

"So if I have to leave to Switzerland to drug him to come back, that'd be perfectly fine?" Jenny asked with a bit of laughter

"I would have to set aside money to bail you out of jail, but you could make it work" Chuck smiled as Jenny crawled towards him on the bed before she flopped down beside him

"Thank you" Jenny said after she leaned over to give him a kiss

"For what?" Chuck asked "You're my wife, this is supposed to happen, we're supposed to be each other's sounding board" he told her

"For better or worse" Jenny smiled as she looked on at her wedding once more

"Have you talked with Dan?" Chuck asked after a moment of blissful silence

"Just the standard conversation of how are you and how is school. We haven't really talked, so it's like we're not talking still" Jenny said "I don't think he's ever going to come around on the idea of us" she said

"Again, time will have to be on our side" Chuck told her

"Is there any amount of time you could predict. I mean in this crystal globe of time, do you see maybe something by Thanksgiving or Christmas even?" Jenny asked as Chuck laughed at her desperation "I'm being serious" she laughed

"That's the funny part" Chuck told her as he got his laughter under control while Jenny took a moment to see what Chuck had morphed into when he was with her.

"I like that side of you. The laughing and the caring person you've become" Jenny said as she pressed her forehead up against his "You look sexy with it on" she teased

"I look better with you" Chuck replied as she tilted her head to lean in to kiss him. Getting into the kiss, Chuck was thrown off guard by Jenny suddenly breaking away from the kiss.

"I just got an idea" Jenny smiled excitedly as she hopped off the bed

"Can that wait til…oh, I don't know, until normal hours of the day?" Chuck asked as he looked over the clock to see that it was two in the morning

"We can't or else the idea will fade away" Jenny replied as she reached out to grab his hand

"We? When did a we come into this idea?" Chuck asked

"What happened to the whole better or for worse scenario?" Jenny asked

"It stopped at midnight, this was a courtesy advice" Chuck said flopping back in the bed as he gripped on to his pillow

"C'mon, let's redecorate the living room. I just got an idea that will make a huge difference" Jenny said as she literally dragged Chuck out of the bed.

* * *

After a painful night of sleeping on the floor in their new place, Blair found that she was eager to furnish their new house with furniture. In her mind, the bed had to be the top item that had to be bought today on her way into work. Though she was left with meaningless tasks at work, Blair would usually be upset with the very meaningless tasks that she was left up to do, but since she found the perfect bed for the townhouse, nothing else seemed to matter but her ailing back. Moments throughout the day, Blair found herself thinking about her family and all that was going on. For the longest, Blair had viewed her parents as the perfect model citizens of the Upper Eastside. Blair's father was the hot shot lawyer and her mother was the powerful woman that she strived to be. Nothing about what was happening now was her idea of what her parents were to her as she was growing. Knowing that she couldn't avoid her life forever, Blair took the dreaded path towards the penthouse. Getting off the elevator, Dorota quickly greeted her like she always had before she saw her father sitting off in the living room.

"Will you need anything?" Dorota asked as Blair looked over at her father working diligently

"No, I'm fine" Blair said as she smoothed her dress "I'm fine Dorota" she smiled to assure her before Dorota made her way back into the kitchen. Hesitantly walking towards her father, Blair felt as if she had to be gentle with approaching her father as if he was some delicate flower

"Care Bear" Harold beamed with happiness as he set his lap top to the side

"Daddy" Blair smiled weakly as she took a seat across from him, ignoring any attempt to give him the usual kiss on the cheek they usually gave each other

"How was your new place?" Harold asked as he tried to make conversation with her

"It was fine" Blair replied "Got a crick in my back due from sleeping on the floor, but nothing out of the norm" she said

"Sleeping on the floor, I remember those days of the brand new place" Harold laughed as he thought over the old days

"It's not that type of visit daddy" Blair replied as she just gave him a serious look "I need you to help me understand how you can do something like this? I need to know how the two people I come to admire can manage to do something so reprehensible?" she asked as Harold took a moment to take in what his daughter was asking

"It wasn't like we wanted it to happen the way it did" Harold said

"Yes, because putting your child up for adoption is always the idea situation. Sort of like a refund policy for all things in life" Blair replied sarcastically "What made me different? Why'd you keep me?" she asked

"Because we loved you…that didn't come out right" Harold quickly replied before realizing

"No, I think you meant it. I just worry how much your love is worth in the grand scheme of things because you knew he was out there. You knew that some day this might happen" Blair told him

"If Tyler was ever going to have a shot of being normal, he had to know what life was like outside of what we were building for ourselves. Then we weren't sure we were ready to be parents" Harold said

"And then I came along and you just decided to get it together? I hate to break it to you, but parenting wasn't a strong point of Harold and Eleanor even then" Blair replied

"Blair, look….it wasn't as easy as you may think. Nothing I will say will take back the harshness of what we did, but we were never malicious in doing so" Harold said

"You gave your child up for adoption!" Blair replied angrily as she was hoping that her father would get it

"I didn't give our child up!" Harold finally snapped which startled Blair by her father's tone "Was I ready to be a father, no, but I wanted to try. I wanted to try and make it work. We were in the beginning of our careers with student loans up to our necks, but I wanted to try" he reasoned as tears welled up in his eyes

"Oh, my God" Blair said as she brought her hand up to her mouth in surprise with what this all meant "Mom, she didn't…she didn't want the baby?" she asked in disbelief

"I must've read every parenting book out there, hoping that in a matter of a weekend I could grasp the idea of being a father. I imagined the birth, the late nights, everything…your mother tried but it was like the more success she gained, the more she realized that she wasn't ready" Harold said "She felt horrible for how she was feeling, but she wanted to carry to term and willing to try to be a mother because it's what I wanted…." he began to say

"And you felt guilty about her feeling guilty over what you wanted" Blair concluded "

"The last month of the pregnancy, we searched for the perfect couple and we settled on a couple from California. The birth was the most robotic thing I've ever been through as it was all standard procedure, give birth and give the kid away to his new family" Harold cried "So if you're repulsed then imagine how I feel. There hasn't been a day that went by that I didn't think about what I had done or was a part of. I hated what I had did, but I went along like I always did because I was afraid to shake the boat…I was afraid of everything that I truly wanted" he said

"Is that when you started to embrace the fact that you might be gay?" Blair asked

"I didn't embrace it, I was gay. The more I denied what I wanted, the more I resented your mother for it. Our marriage fell apart long before I embraced any aspect of who I was" Harold said "Nothing about what we did sat right with me, and I've always known from the moment that we gave up Tyler…that would be the beginning of the end of my marriage to your mother" he said as Blair got up from her seat to comfort her father

"It's okay" Blair said as she soothed her father unaware that her mother was within distance to notice the exchange between.

"Never knew you felt that way" Eleanor finally spoke before Harold and Blair looked over to see her standing at the bottom of the staircase. Quickly rising to his feet, Harold wiped away the tears that had rolled down his cheek.

"Eleanor…" Harold began to say as he attempted to walk towards her

"No, save it!" Eleanor replied through welled up tears in her eyes "You lied to me. All these years, you lied to me" she cried

"It wasn't my place" Harold reasoned

"You were the father! It was your place" Eleanor cried "You were my best friend, and you lied to me" she said

"I forced him to talk. Daddy wasn't going to say anything" Blair said as she stood in between her parents "He was just trying to make me understand" she said

"And all in all, I'm still the bad guy in this. I was the cold hearted bitch that couldn't dare put her life on hold for a child because money and power were more important. No I got the jest of the conversation from where I stood. Once again, I'm the villain in this family" Eleanor cried

"You both made this decision, no one is better than the other" Blair reasoned

"No, because in this scenario, the mother should've known best. I made a mistake, and it will possibly be the single biggest mistake that will book me into a guest suite in hell and reprehensible to my own daughter. So if you will excuse me, I have more sins to commit" Eleanor said as she walked over to grab her coat before she walked over to press the down button on the elevator

"Mother. Mother. Stop" Blair said as she tried to stop her mother from boarding the elevator but failed in doing so "Dammit!" she said hitting the wall in frustration

* * *

Sitting on the steps outside of Dominic's, Carter passed the time flinging rocks as he had gotten used to waiting for Dominic to come out. All summer long, Carter had gotten used to being at Dominic and Nikki's every beck and call as he had officially become their bitch. Griping at the mess he had created, Carter knew that there wasn't any room to just mope because if he was ever going to pay Dominic back then he had to get his mind right. Over the summer he had worked up the grand total of twenty thousand off of random bets with sports bookie that he had picked up over the months. Leaning up against the column post, Carter nearly drifted off to sleep only to realize that falling asleep on Dominic's door step was the last thing he wanted to do. Getting up from where he sat, Carter walked down towards the local liquor store to grab some candy as a means to wake him up. Noticing the dance class that he passed along the way, Carter couldn't help but notice Vanessa. For the longest, Carter just stood watching her until the class had finally dismissed. Immediately turning the corner with her friends in tow, Vanessa laughed and giggled with her friends until she finally noticed Carter.

"Hey" Carter said trying to conceal the smile that was coming to his face but Vanessa saw this as an unwelcome situation that she didn't want to be a part of. Trying to walk past him, Carter immediately ran in front of her. "Can we just talk. Two minutes?" he asked

"I don't have time for this" Vanessa muttered in response angrily

"The hell you do" One girl said as the girls laughed "Ness, talk to the boy. He's looking all sad and gloomy while you're all Grinching him. We'll catch up with you later" she said before the rest of the girls walked off

"You have two minutes" Vanessa told him

"Is this your dance studio?" Carter asked as he looked around nervously

"One minute and thirty seconds" Vanessa told him

"Look, I get that your mad but this was all before I even met you" Carter reasoned

"And the lies were all while I was with you. So what difference does it make?" Vanessa asked in a quick response

"By the time I met you, I was in too deep. I couldn't just say that I worked for your father because I wasn't exactly supposed to be seeing you" Carter said

"With good reason because Dom doesn't usually like me dating one of his guys, nor do I choose to" Vanessa told him

"And I fully support that, but I'm not some guy that works for Dominic" Carter told her

"Oh, and what makes you different? What makes you so special because you do exactly what I think guys for Dom do" Vanessa asked

"I made mistakes. I got in too deep and I made mistakes, mistakes that I can't take back" Carter said with pleading eyes as he wanted so desperately to tell Vanessa the truth but knew that involving her in his mess would only make things worse

"What? Tell me the mistake you made?" Vanessa asked

"I can't exactly get into the details, but I promise you…." Carter began to say

"Don't promise me anything. I don't want promises because they eventually turn into lies with you" Vanessa said "I should've trusted my judgment and never got involved with you because at the end of the day, you're exactly what I knew you'd be…too immature to be in a relationship" she told him

"Say whatever you want, but I know that what we had wasn't a mistake or immature by any means" Carter replied

"That's your opinion" Vanessa said before she walked away from him. Debating on whether or not he should chase after her, Carter found that unless he had the answers to her questions then it was best to save the fight for another day. Just as Carter motioned to leave and head back towards Dominic's, Carter couldn't help but notice Nikki getting out of a black Mercedes. Normally this would've been normal, but it was who Nikki was with that left Carter alarmed and aware.

"Nikki, what the hell" Carter uttered to himself as he came to realize that Nikki was the rat in the organization as he was spotted with the rival gang member.

* * *

Mixing the lasts of his drinks for the night, Dan grabbed the towel from his back pocket as he began to wipe the counters. Spotting the usual drunks that would drift off into their slumbers in the corners of the restaurant, all Dan could hope for was that the boss's wife wasn't off screwing anyone else that might lead to another late night brawl. Cleaning and pouring out the small amounts of alcohol that were in the bottles, Dan heard the door open by the sound of the bell jingling. Groaning to himself, Dan hated that it would be yet another drunk that he'd have to kick out by the end of the night. Turning back to look over at who it was, Dan was a bit surprised to see that it was Eleanor walking in looking completely disheveled as if she had one too many cosmos for her limit. Sighing to himself, Dan could only brace himself for what he was about to endure. Putting the towel on the counter as she took a seat, Dan stood behind his respective side of the bar as the bartender while she seemed to search for words to say.

"Cosmo please" Eleanor said as she put her purse on top of the bar

"I think you could do for water instead" Dan replied as he noticed her sloppy demeanor

"No, I can handle a cosmo. It's the easiest thing I can handle in my life at this moment" Eleanor replied "Make it a double and keep it coming" she requested

"I can't do that" Dan replied

"Sure you can" Eleanor quickly replied "You know I have the money for it" she laughed to herself in the saddest of tones

"You know why, and I hardly think alcohol will fix anything…it never does, so you shouldn't ask me to" Dan told her

"I have a son that hates my guts for good reason. A daughter that seems like I crashed down every perception she ever had of me that I could ever be good. Then there's you…you cut off all contact to where my only source of knowing how you are is through some stupid blog" Eleanor said

"Gossip Girl is pure fiction, some of it" Dan told her

"It's the only thing I have" Eleanor told him as tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at him "I have only myself to blame, but I just keep trying, I keep trying to dig out of this hole but I just keep drowning in this" she said

"I'm not sure what you expected. I mean you had to know this would come back, secrets always come back in some shape or form" Dan said

"And I'd always prepare myself for it, but I just never thought it'd come back at a time when things were starting to go right for this family" Eleanor said

"That doesn't make you sound sympathetic" Dan replied "Tyler may be a dent in this fantasy of perfection, but he's your son and you gave him up" he said

"I don't mean to make it sound like it, but it just comes out that way" Eleanor said

"Look, I don't really know what you want me to tell you. I can't solve this for you or give you advice because if I did. If I had to be honest in this, I side with Tyler because of anything, I know what it's like to be the unwanted son" Dan told her before Eleanor began to realize where Dan was coming from

"Dan, I never meant…" Eleanor began to reason as she could only silently curse herself for being so oblivious

"I know, you never meant to. Your actions have consequences, I know you may like to think that if you wish it away as hard as you can then it will disappear but it doesn't work like that" Dan said "You made this problem, now suck it up and deal with it…that's the best advice I can give you" he said

"I suppose" Eleanor said after a few moments of silence as she slowly rose from her seat "I'm sorry about this pathetic display" she replied hesitantly as she tried to maintain some sort of dignity

"Being there can take you a long way, so when you want to run, stay. It may make you the punching bag for a lot of harsh words, but it'll mean more if you stay" Dan told her as she smiled at his advice

"I know that I've lost your respect, but I really look forward to that day when I may earn it back" Eleanor smiled through the tears as she looked on at Dan

"It's not that simple, but…just stay around" Dan said before he broke eye contact with her and began to wipe the counters. Figuring that she had no right to ask for more of him, Eleanor knew that if Dan was going to come around then it had to be at his pace. Stumbling towards the door, Eleanor found that the idea of walking out to hail a taxi was going to be harder than she imagined. Hating that she was all ready embarrassing herself in front of Dan, Eleanor thought twice before she turned back to see Dan holding up a cordless phone in his hand. "Grab a seat. Henry will be here in fifteen minutes" he told her as it was a hard habit to break how well he knew her.

* * *

Letting out a yawn as he made his way up the four steps, Dan put his key inside the keyhole before letting himself in. It was late into the night as the weight of day finally began to set in as he made his way in to notice the minimal bit of furniture that was now in the living room. Taking a moment to access if this was all dream or if this was for real, Blair came out of the bedroom to greet her boyfriend on his entrance. Doing his best to play surprised, Dan leaned in to Blair to give her a quick kiss as she seemed eager to show him the bedroom. Leading him back towards the bedroom, the continual onslaught of Blair's presence in the house became even more present with the oversized bed that they now had in their room. Though it had been a full on array of furniture, it was enough furniture to make Dan realize that Blair had spent most of the day shopping.

"Do you like?" Blair asked as she looked over at his expressions

"I do. I just didn't think you'd have time to do all this shopping with what was going on with your parents" Dan said as he relieved himself of his jacket

"Yeah well, retail therapy served its purpose today with the day I had. Work was good even though I had to do mail room tasks, but that's only because Bex is out of the office today" Blair reasoned "Everything else was chaotic and eye opening" she sighed

"I know. Your mom came by the restaurant tonight. She was a bit buzzed" Dan told her as Blair sighed in frustration

"Great so now she's adding walking around drunk to her resume of things that could do her in by the press. This is just great" Blair groaned as she ran her hand through her hair "What'd she say?" she asked

"Just the usual of the state of things now. I called Henry though, and everyone else was too drunk to notice that Eleanor Waldorf was even there" Dan told her

"Thank you. I would've hated for some random to catch her in that state" Blair sighed "I talked with them and it only seemed to get worse" she said as she pulled back the covers on her side of the bed before getting in.

"How bad could it get?" Dan asked

"Try it being my mother that wasn't ready to be a mother. My dad was devastated, but he wanted to at least try to raise the baby. Mother only obliged because she didn't want to disappoint him, when it came to the birth daddy agreed to give the baby up for adoption but secretly wanted the child. Mother overheard daddy's confession and then it all went south after that, which I'm sure is why she ended up at Pepe's of all places" Blair sighed as Dan tried to listen to what she was saying but couldn't manage to shake the fact that she went out and actually bought a bed.

"At this point, I don't think any version is going to sound good. It is what it is, and it's something that is here now that you have to deal with" Dan told her

"I'm tired of dealing. Can't we just run away or something. We could go away to some foreign country or something…" Blair suggested as Dan hesitantly got in on his side of the bed

"Don't say foreign countries because then I think about Jenny and her joke of a marriage out of all this" Dan replied "Let's just say that we'd do better off by ourselves in some unknown place" he told her

"Okay, I think that could work" Blair smiled "Besides my mother, how was your day?" she asked "Note how we're acting very moved in together like right now" she quickly added

"Dually noted" Dan replied with a bit of laughter as he laid back in the bed while she cuddled up close to him as he went on to tell her about his day.

* * *

**All I knowIs everything is not as it's sold**

**but the more I grow the less I know**

**And I have lived so many lives**

**Though I'm not old**

**And the more I see, the less I grow**

**The fewer the seeds the more I sow**

Pouring himself a cup of coffee as he listened on to the business portion of the news, Chuck made mental notes to himself as all he could was keep up with the little tricks of the trade that his father had taught him. Making his coffee to his liking, Chuck took a sip hoping that it would taste like the usual gourmet coffee that he was used to growing up in the Plaza, but each day it didn't and each day he liked it that way because it was just another day of him adjusting to his new life. Coming out of the bedroom, getting ready for school, Jenny smiled happily at the new arrangement that the couple had come to in the living room. Finding the little things that she found to be a small victory in their adventures of being married, Chuck found that her successes were becoming his own at the end of the day. Walking over towards his lap top, Jenny took a seat at the desk before she opened up the window to the letter she had been writing for some time. Copying the letter into her e-mail screen, Jenny typed in the sender as "Eric van der Woodsen" before she put in the subject of the letter as "Until You Forgive Me" then sent the e-mail off. Though it would probably take thousands of letters for him to forgive her, Jenny was prepared to send him the same letter every day until he finally did come to that day until he forgave her.

**Then I see you standing there**

**Wanting more from me**

**And all I can do is try**

**Then I see you standing there**

**Wanting more from me**

**And all I can do is try**

"Time is money, money is time" Nikki said as he got in the car while Carter put on his seat belt. Moments passed where all Nikki got from Carter was nothing but silence, which left him a bit confused. "You okay?" he then asked

"Yeah, I'm good" Carter replied "Is everything okay?…anything you care to share?" he asked

"I see you have the usual sarcasm, so I take it we're good" Nikki laughed to himself "The usual drop. We're expecting a big total, so make sure we keep it discreet. We've scoped the area out so we shouldn't get any heat this time around" he informed Carter while all Carter could do was look on at Nikki skeptically.

"Just another day, that's all this is?" Carter asked

"Just another day" Nikki agreed before he started the engine.

**I wish I hadn't seen all of the realness**

**And all the real people are really not real at all**

**The more I learn, the more I learn The more I cry, the more I cry**

**As I say goodbye to the way of life**

**I thought I had designed for me**

Continuing on the same patterns as he did, when he once lived her, Harold got his cup of tea along with his three cookies from within the kitchen. Taking his usual seat by the window to look out at the park activities for the day while he could only wish that he'd set aside a moment of the day to enjoy the New York sun. After calling Roman earlier on in the day, Harold couldn't help but miss a piece of home in France, but his heart began to settle in to the home he had known most of his life. Surprised to feel her take a seat beside him, a slight smile broke on Harold's face as he could feel her coming around to him. Putting his hand on top of hers, Harold and Eleanor sat in silence for a moment as they just looked out the children running through the park in complete joy.

"I'm sorry" Eleanor cried as she turned to look at Harold before he just smiled at her

"It took two to make him, and it was two people that made that decision" Harold told her

"But I should've known you better, you were my best friend, I should've known better" Eleanor cried "It was us against the world" she said as Harold wiped away her tears

"And I shouldn't have expected you to read my mind" Harold replied as he continued to smile "We did this together, and I'm not one to back out on my partner and crime just yet" he said

"How do we get him back? How are we going to get our son to even like us?" Eleanor questioned

"By something I like to call teamwork" Harold said as he intertwined their fingers together "So what do you say? Are you all in with me? Are you up for the good fight?" he asked as all she could do was lean in towards him so that she was cuddled up close to him.

"I hate you, you know that right?" Eleanor muttered as she nestled up close to him while he rubbed her back

"I know" Harold laughed as if they were those teenagers all over again that relied on each other above everyone else.

**Then I see you standing there**

**Wanting more from me**

**And all I can do is try**

**Then I see you standing there**

**I'm all I'll ever be**

**But all I can do is try**

**Try**

Coming towards the door, Dan hesitated for a moment before he finally knocked. Engrossed in all his paperwork, Bart looked up from his stack of papers to a pleasant surprise at seeing Dan standing in the doorway. With his hands resting his pocket, Dan waited until he was invited in before he just assumed that he would be. Getting up from his seat, Bart motioned for Dan to enter into the office while he closed the door behind him.

"Dan, what brings you by?" Bart asked

"I don't know" Dan replied unsure of what he should say but in all honesty that was how he felt

"Okay, well how are classes?" Bart asked a bit confused

"Classes are going good. I can't really pile on with the load in regards to tuition, but they're going good" Dan told him as an awkward silence came between them

"Why are you here?" Bart asked in a tone that let Dan know that he knew something was up

"I moved in with Blair. We're now living together" Dan laughed weakly to himself

"So I take it you've officially removed yourself from the house?" Bart asked

"Yes" Dan replied "I just wanted to thank you for that, for letting me stay there those couple of nights" he told him

"You don't need to thank me. You're welcome in my home" Bart told him as he folded his arms as a few moments of silence came between them as they both struggled to find what they wanted to say "How is living with the girlfriend?" he asked

"It's interesting. It's a new experience" Dan nodded "She's great and wonderful. She's a powerful woman in the making….and I'm…I'm just trying to keep up at this point" he said letting a moment of vulnerability slip that he had no intention of showing. Looking up to see Bart's eyes looking back at him, Dan tried to cover up the emotions that he was beginning to show.

"How would you feel about working for me?" Bart asked

**All of the moments that already passed**

**We'll try to go back and make them last**

**All of the things we want each other to be**

**We never will be**

**And that's wonderful, and that's life**

**And that's you, baby**

**This is me, baby**

**And we are, we are, we are, we are**

Laying the ball into the basket, Tyler trotted back towards half court as Sean clapped with excitement for his friend as they were now up in a game of two on two. With a busy work load that he had endured from the week, Tyler was glad to enjoy a good pick up game with his best friend and a few friends as opposed to being stuck in front of a computer screen. Inbounding the ball, Sean took a few moments to do a bit of trash talking as Tyler hoped that he had enough spunk in him to last up until the twenty one points that they had to score but were five points away. Just as Tyler prepared to make his cut towards the ball, Tyler heard his cell phone going off. Groaning in unisons, every one on the court knew that when Tyler's phone went off that a sudden interruption would come.

"Sorry. Sorry" Tyler said as he jogged over towards his phone

"Hurry up, we have to keep up momentum" Sean called out towards his friend before Tyler answered the phone

"Hello" Tyler answered a bit out of breath

"We need to have your answer on Insider. We have unlimited amount of people willing to shell out big bucks on this book, and frankly it's getting a bit much to turn people down" Mr. Hannigan quickly stated

"Uh...I still need time" Tyler replied

"You don't have that much time Adams. I need your answer soon or else this story will get released" Mr. Hannigan said "This story will shred the Upper Eastside, and that will be media gold" he went on to say as all Tyler could do was groan in frustration with the ticking time bomb he had in his lap.

**Free**

**In our love**

**We are free in our love**

* * *

****Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter:

Nelly Furtado: Try


	5. Dan de Fleurette

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the welcome back. I have to say that it does feel kind of good to be back to this story because I forgot how crazy things are in this world. I had to go back and reread some stuff just to get caught up a bit, but it also inspired me to hammer out the details of where the story will go. Love interests, drama, scandal, villains. Each character will be dealing with some stuff so Dan won't be getting all the crap this story around, but it will all lead back to Dair to make sure they're always in some sort of situation. I do warn that angst will come for Dair, but it's the angst that I think is realistic for high school sweethearts going out in the real world together. I now know all of that. I would say this story will be under Twenty chapters as some episodes I didn't use or I will add my own original to keep the flow of the story going. So I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your feedback :)**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Four- Dan de Fleurette**

* * *

Standing in front of the mirror, Dan looked on at himself as he buttoned up his dress shirt before reaching the final button. Taking a deep breath as he looked on at himself, Dan finally felt as if he was ready to face his toughest critic of them all. Feeling a bit uneasy in the shirt for an unknown reason that he couldn't quite claim, Dan was determined that this would be the shirt. Walking out in to the bedroom to stand in front of the bed, Blair looked up from her magazine to see him standing before her in his dress shirt and boxers while she sat in the bed. Tilting her head a bit as she took in the full view of what he was wearing. Putting the magazine down to the side, Blair brought her knees up to her chest as she just couldn't quite pinpoint what was off or she didn't want to put it out there too soon before she had to.

"What do you think? Is this the shirt?" Dan asked as he modeled the shirt for her

"It's interesting" Blair replied a bit hesitant

"Interesting? It's a blue dress shirt. It's casual and dressy, like what I should wear" Dan told her as he tried to amp up the shirt to be more than what it was

"I know, my abilities to decipher colors is impeccable" Blair nodded "But something seems off on it" she added

"Like what?" Dan asked "I mean it's a dress shirt" he protested

"Maybe…maybe it's the tight fit that has me a bit unsure about it" Blair slowly brought up

"It's suppose to be tight, I don't want it to be loose and baggy" Dan told her

"Maybe if you put on the pants then it will look…less interesting in some ways" Blair suggested

"It's a shirt, I don't think the pants are going to magically improve it" Dan said as Blair couldn't manage to conceal what she really thought it was

"Maybe it might be a dough boy thing" Blair then suggested

"Dough boy? As in fat?" Dan asked "You think I'm fat?" he asked

"Please don't cry again, but you've had that shirt since high school and you've matured…" Blair began to say

"Matured as in fat" Dan interjected

"It's a small shirt because you refuse to buy new ones. Dan, I think that's the shirt you wore the first time I ever met you in the penthouse" Blair told him

"It still fits" Dan declared

"In your mind, but it's too tight and unless you're trying to show off your muscles. Look, I can arrange for you to pick up a shirt from Marc Jacobs, they owe my mother a few favors for the insane amount of money she spends there" Blair suggested as she reached over to grab her phone

"No, I don't need a new shirt. I have other shirts that I've bought within the present time" Dan sighed as he held her hand up in protest as he flopped down on the edge of the bed

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm glad you got a better job…not sure I love that it's with Bart, but I guess he's trying" Blair said as she crawled towards where Dan was on the edge of the bed to wrap her arms around him from behind.

"It doesn't. I think a zombie went in and asked for that job" Dan sighed

"But why? I never even knew that you were interested in working with Bart?" Blair asked

"I just thought it was time to leave Pepe's, with all the bar fights, I was sure to run into some sort of trouble. So better to leave now" Dan said as he began to massage her legs as she began to massage his shoulders

"Well I'm glad" Blair smiled as she leaned in to kiss the side of his neck

"Besides my obvious new job, what's on your schedule tomorrow?" Dan asked

"The same or something a bit new. Bex has put me on babysitting duty with Ursula von Cliff, then I have managed to hound Tyler into getting coffee" Blair told him

"That's the strangest sentence I've ever heard. Ursula von Cliff, the name alone is crazy and from what the tabloids say about her. Then Tyler giving you a chance" Dan laughed

"I know" Blair laughed in agreement "But since he's putting the ice front on the whole family, so I'm just hoping that peer involvement will help the process" she told him before she let out sigh just as Dan turned around in between her legs to lay her back on the bed "I do know one thing we can do tonight" she said as Dan smiled at her suggestion

"I think I know a couple of ideas as well" Dan said as he began to kiss her neck "Some things that can take all night" he muttered as he lead kiss to her collar bone while he slid her nighty up to see that she had no underwear on "I can see you had the same idea" he said as he pulled back to look at her

"Call it me being presumptuous" Blair laughed as he captured her lips with his. Massaging her tongue with his, Dan scooted her down towards him while Blair attempted to unbutton his dress shirt before she felt a flick against her forehead "Oww!" she said as she broke the kiss

"What? What happened?" Dan asked with a bit of panic as the mood suddenly changed

"Your shirt is what happened. Your shirt button popped me in the head" Blair said while Dan looked down at his dress shirt to see just how tight it was as he hunched over Blair

"I might need you to call in that favor" Dan concluded

"Hand me the phone" Blair said as Dan reached over to grab her cell phone.

* * *

Hearing the sounds of the roaring crowd as the New York Jaybirds roared on to another victory, Tyler seemed unaffected as his main focus remained on his blackberry. Going up the ranks in his writing career, Tyler found that being around the screaming fans had become a given as a journalist, but it was a life that Tyler didn't miss. Walking down the tunnels towards the locker room, Tyler continued to answer e-mails as he made a few small talk with some of the security for the team. Stopping short of the team locker room, Tyler leaned up against the wall as he awaited the players to come out. Laughing to himself at the ridiculous questions the reporters throughout, Tyler couldn't help but feel like he was above the life of hoping for any scrap of information to write about for a midnight deadline. Managing to avoid any questions coming his way, Sean made his way through the crowd of reporters that were waiting for the big superstar of the team, Jason Peters.

"No need to ask any questions, I'm just the bench player" Sean called out as he walked up towards Tyler while the bitterness of being a once great high school player to riding the pine in the professionals was still quite annoying to him.

"Speak louder, I don't think they heard your bitterness" Tyler joked

"Hardy har" Sean replied "What are you even doing here?" he asked

"I came by to see you riding the bench. I asked Tony to get me a few sports shot of you reaching for Gatorade and you removing towels from your seat so you can sit down" Tyler joked

"Again, what are you doing here?" Sean asked as he rolled his eyes as Tyler's joke

"I did come to see the game. My subject for my article happens to frequent the games, so I did my thing and got a quote in the hot dog line" Tyler said "But it was a good game, makes me glad I came" he laughed

"Sadly it was, but it would've been even better if coach would finally stop playing with me and give me minutes other than practice minutes" Sean told him as they began to walk down the tunnel "So are we drinking or gaming tonight?" he asked his friend

"I can't. I've got a busy day tomorrow" Tyler told him

"What are you doing other than scouring the streets for quotes on this Ukraine story?" Sean asked

"A very important Ukraine story, I might add. I have a breakfast appointment" Tyler told him

"With who? And since when do you make appointment to eat Cheerios? I've known you since we were kids and you never ate breakfast, so why now?" Sean asked as he stopped to look at his friend

"Because it's with my sister" Tyler replied

"Your sister? Wow, how did you manage to set up a breakfast appointment with Blair Waldorf?" Sean asked his friend

"Constant badgering by her, that's how it came about" Tyler replied as he put his blackberry away in his pocket "I don't plan to stay long though, it'll be a simple how is life, mine kind of was good and then goodbye" he said "My stance remains the same on that front, and the fact that Blair Waldorf is my sister doesn't change that" he said just as Serena hesitantly walked up towards her

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but did I just hear you say that you're sister is Blair Waldorf?" Serena asked as Sean's jaw dropped at the sight of Serena van der Woodsen

"Uh…yes. You're Serena, right?" Tyler asked as he looked a bit nervous that the fact was out there

"It's just strange because I remember you from the whole yearbook…" Serena began to say

"T.W. Adams, which happens to be Tyler Waldorf" Tyler told her

"Which makes sense" Serena laughed "I'm just shocked that she hasn't told me yet, and a bit upset" she said as she looked on at Tyler to see if she could see Harold of Eleanor's features in him

"That's because we're not in the happy united family as one may think. I would really prefer if you keep this a secret or discreet" Tyler said

"Yes, discreet. I know how being discreet is a valued thing in the Upper Eastside, but I should warn you that it won't last for long" Serena told him as she looked over to see Tyler's friend smiling like a teenage boy seeing his dream girl for the first time "It was nice to see you again…Tyler. And you're name?" she turned to ask Sean

"My name, uh…it's uh…My name is…" Sean babbled unable to formulate words to put his name together for her to hear

"His name is Sean. He's sort of or is my best friend" Tyler told her

"That's a good start. Having best friends can take you far. You look familiar though, I've seen you from somewhere" Serena said as she looked at Sean skeptically before her attention turned towards Jason Peters as he came out of the locker room.

"I play for the team" Sean said but found that Serena's attention had went elsewhere

"It was nice talking to you guys" Serena smiled before she walked past Sean and Tyler before turning back "And I trust we can be discreet on all accounts?" she asked as it appeared that Jason was waiting for her

"Of course" Sean said shaking his head in disbelief

"Yeah" Tyler smiled before Serena turned to follow behind Jason's security team that shielded off all cameras from taking pictures of the couple.

"He gets the recognition and the girl…that used to be me" Sean said as he silently cried over his career

"I know. It'll be okay. Let's get some beer, that should cheer you up" Tyler said as he and Sean walked down the tunnel

"Or you could make up a false story about me being the next basketball prodigy. That'll make me feel better" Sean replied he gripped on tight to his gym bag

"And that would also be a lie" Tyler laughed

* * *

Fearing every bit of what she may encounter at school, Jenny couldn't help but slow up her pace as she walked. Feeling her grip on tighter as they got closer towards the school, Chuck couldn't help but laugh at how serious she was about not wanting to go to school. Chuck knew that Constance wasn't exactly Jenny's shining moment of happiness, but he had hoped that since it was her Senior year, she'd be able to take solace in the fact that she only had one more year. With each step that she took, Jenny grew more and more with anxiety as she just couldn't manage to take it any longer before she ultimately came to a sudden stop. Facing Chuck, Jenny couldn't help but show her anxiety while all Chuck could do was laugh.

"Stop laughing at me" Jenny said as she hit Chuck on the arm "It's not too late for us to get a taxi and go off to Victrola. I could help you with the books or clean, I'm good at cleaning" she suggested before Chuck leaned in to silence her with a kiss

"Everything. Will. Be. Fine" Chuck told her in between kisses before he broke their final kiss to look at her "There's nothing to worry about" he told her

"Easy for you to say, you've graduated" Jenny pouted

"Yes, but I still see the same crowd of people. Half of them don't even remember last year let alone people they want to terrorize" Chuck reasoned

"That's because no one is going to blatantly come out and say they plan to make this persons life a living hell" Jenny exclaimed

"Oh, that's where you miss the rare breed in the Upper Eastside" Chuck laughed

"Girls are different. Girls are like pariah's waiting to fee on their next prey" Jenny told him

"Girls are over dramatic, sort of like how you're being right now" Chuck told her

"Aren't you supposed to be supportive of me? I mean that's suppose to come along with the marriage deal" Jenny asked "When is the support going to kick in?" she asked with a bit of a laugh

"It's here, and will be there when you get home from school" Chuck smiled as he pulled her into a hug

"I like that name, home. Coming home to our place" Jenny smiled before the bell rang "Okay, now is the time we run off" she said trying to make an escape but Chuck was unable to let go of his grip on her

"You'll have a great day. I'm sure of it" Chuck smiled as he lead her inside towards the courtyard. "I love you" he said as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips

"Yeah, yeah" Jenny sighed as Chuck just looked at her as if he wanted her to say it back to him for his own confirmation "I love you too" she told him with a bit of a pout

"Great, now that's settled" Chuck said before he kissed her forehead just before he turned to leave.

"Damn you Bass" Jenny cursed to herself before she slowly scanned the courtyard in hopes of finding a friend. Finding no one friendly to suit her comforts, Jenny had decided to make her towards her first class before she soon bumped into Penelope and Hazel. Once smiling and laughing with her friends, Penelope's smile soon faded once she saw that it was Jenny she had bumped in to.

"Well, well. Look who made it" Hazel smiled as she folded her arms to witness

"Yes, I've made it and now I just want to get to class. You can save the snide remarks" Jenny told them as she walked through the small group of girls to head up the stairs

"You don't have to run" Penelope told her as she stopped to face her

"I'm not running. I just don't want any problems this year" Jenny sighed

"I wouldn't see our tiff as a problem, I like to think of it as keeping a social structure in tact" Penelope replied

"Call it what you want, I just need to get to class" Jenny said

"So should we expect you at the steps at the Met?" Penelope asked

"I'm not going to meet you, why would I?" Jenny asked

"Because you're one of us" Hazel stated "You're popular now, welcome to the club" she said

"How is that possible?" Jenny asked

"Let's just say your holy matrimony made you a trend in the Upper Eastside" Penelope said "See you at noon" she said before her and the girls walked off

* * *

Giving each other awkward looks as they waited for their coffee's to be brought out, Blair could only hope that peace would be made between her and sibling. On occasion, Blair found herself trying to pick up certain distinctions that Tyler had that were some bit of semblance of her parents while he wasn't looking. Though Serena's ecstatic phone call had Blair worried that the family secret was out, Serena couldn't help but mention the features that she though resembled that of Harold's, which ultimately had Blair looking now in this moment. It was quite clear that from his perception, Tyler could see that his sister was the typical Upper Eastside girl, that he was spoiled on top of it. What to talk about? Tyler kept racking his brain trying to figure out as they both seemed stuck after they taken their seats at the table. Silence. Nothing but silence in this moment before the final barrier break came when the waitress brought them their coffees.

"So how is school?" Tyler asked after he had made his coffee to his liking

"I don't go to school" Blair replied

"Oh, I thought you got accepted to Yale?" Tyler asked

"I did, but I ended up getting a job with Bex Simon on this new sister magazine to W" Blair told him

"How is that possible? I mean it took me years and many coffee runs to get on as a notable freelance writer" Tyler asked

"That's because I'm not a writer, and it doesn't hurt that she's a family friend" Blair smiled

"Bex Simon, a family friend. That sounds hard to believe" Tyler replied

"Things are very believable when you embrace that Eleanor Waldorf is well connected. Though I did get this on my own merit, I don't want you to think I just got it because of our mother" Blair told him

"Of course not" Tyler replied sarcastically as Blair wasn't quite sure if he was being sarcastic or not since she hadn't learned his tendencies yet

"Where do you work? Or frequent more often?" Blair asked

"I write a bit for Centurion a bit, then I do a few pieces for the Sentinel. It's all a bunch of freelance works until I reach the ultimate goal of working at the Times. I used to cover for the New York Jaybirds, I have a friend that plays on the team. If you need tickets, I could easily get you some for you and your friends" Tyler told her

"New York Jaybirds?" Blair asked a bit surprised

"It's a professional basketball team. The other team along with the Knicks" Tyler told her

"Oh, professional sports. That's something that Dan dabbles in, I just got over forgetting everything about soccer, so my sports knowledge is limited" Blair told him

"How is Dan? I mean he's a writer, right? How is he coming along in that department?" Tyler asked

"He's doing good. He goes to NYU, he's actually working for Bass Industries. I haven't seen him write much, but then he's more of a late night writer" Blair said

"Late night is when the best writing gets done. It's the adrenaline of it all" Tyler laughed nervously "But has come out with anything?" he asked trying not to sound suspicious of the questions

"Not that I know of. He's pretty much been all nervous about his job" Blair replied "Have you talked to our mother?…seems weird sharing that title with someone" she asked

"That's because we're not sharing. I don't really want to talk to Eleanor" Tyler replied

"Look, I completely understand…" Blair began to say

"Do you really? I mean have you been given up for the sake of a career venture?" Tyler quickly asked

"No, I haven't but I don't condone what they did. I think it's shameful what they did, but they were kids back then" Blair reasoned

"Kids who had sex, had a kid, gave him up, then got filthy rich on top of it" Tyler said as a silence came between them. Taking a sip from her coffee, preparing to find another subject for them to cover, Blair found that topics were running low when it came to her newfound brother.

"So is there anything else I should know about you?" Blair asked casually

"I'm an open book" Tyler replied quickly without much to say

"And yet, I still find myself asking the question" Blair replied finding that his statement made no sense "You should come by to my new place, Dan and I are planning to throw a house warming party. There's a party for everything on this side of the track, but that won't be for a while. You could come to the season premiere of that new Ursula von Cliff movie. I could put you on the list" she then suggested

"I'm not a big fan of Ursula von Cliff and I sort of have a deadline coming up for this article I'm working on" Tyler replied

"You don't even know when the premiere is, so how would you all of sudden have plans?" Blair questioned

"Blair, what do you expect from me? I mean did you want us to tell each other everything and become best friends or something?" Tyler asked in a bit of confusion

"I didn't expect anything, I just thought that…I thought it wouldn't be this awkward between us" Blair said

"Yeah well, you're an Upper Eastside Princess and I'm a guy that was raised in a blue collar household" Tyler told her

"So because we have different upbringings, that means we have nothing to talk about?….you do know I date a guy from Brooklyn, right?" Blair asked

"I'm not a Waldorf. I may have the last name, but I'm not a Waldorf" Tyler said

"You can't hide the fact that you're a Waldorf. It will get out, stuff like this always does" Blair told him

"Like what happened with Katie Sparks?" Tyler asked as Blair just glared at him for a moment

"Don't do that. You don't know me to throw that in my face" Blair quickly replied

"I know enough when it comes to that. Tell me, what did our parents think about that ordeal? I mean you were involved in the death, you may not have killed her, but you were involved. Didn't get anything for it but a slap on the wrist, while her sister is sent away to prison" Tyler said

"First of all, get to know the players of the game because if you knew Georgina, then you'd know she's got a couple screws loose in her head" Blair told him "Why did you come? Because clearly you have no interest in getting to know me since you've all ready made up your mind about me. So why come?" she asked

"Because you're quite persistent" Tyler sighed

"Because I thought that you might want an olive branch into the family. I thought that I would make some attempt to show that you could be a part of this family like you should've been" Blair told him

"I don't need to be a Waldorf to survive in this town. I've gotten along quite nicely" Tyler replied

"Fine, I give you that but don't act like we're bothering you, when you clearly keep coming for something" Blair told him "What do you want? What do you expect now that you know about us?" she asked as Tyler sat in confusion

"I don't know" Tyler muttered as Blair looked at him in confusion as to what she should say because clearly the bond that normal brother and sisters had wasn't going to happen any time soon between them. Just as she began to say something, Blair's phone began to ring with Bex's name popping up on the caller identification screen

"I have to go" Blair said as she pulled money out of her wallet while Tyler quickly threw down crumpled up dollars

"I don't need you to pay" Tyler replied "Coffee on me" he said as he sat back in his chair

"I'd say thanks bro, but I'm sure any connection to me would be disheartening to you" Blair said before she rose from her seat "Maybe you should figure out what you want and do us all a favor. What they did sucked, but you acting like you're better than us doesn't do you any favors either" she said before she walked off

* * *

Dressed in his suit for business, Dan still felt like he was walking around in a ghost like version of himself. From the moment he entered into Bass Industries, it all felt like some secret world that he had entered into a realm of robotic transformation. Everywhere he looked, employees seemed as if they dressed the same and looked the same to him. Taking in the sight as he was lead towards the CEO of this corporate conformity, Dan could only hope that by the end of the day his soul would be in tact. Finally reaching his destination, Dan entered what appeared to be the palaces of offices to see Bart sitting behind his desk with a phone hanging from his ear as he was in clear business mode. Offering Dan a seat in front of his desk, Bart hurried his conversation up so that he could give Dan his full undivided attention. Just as Dan began to find some sort of comfort in his chair, Bart ended his phone call.

"Sorry about that. I got Hong Kong being a pain in my ass with this new merger" Bart sighed in frustration

"I have absolutely no idea as to what you're talking about" Dan muttered to himself "Thank you so much for this opportunity" he then told him

"You don't have to thank me. You were always welcome to be a part of this" Bart told him "You look good in your suit" he noticed of Dan's new garments

"Thank you. Blair made sure to keep me sharp" Dan said as he looked over his clothing that he had just picked up not too long ago in a mad dash to get ready

"Well now you will truly fit in to this" Bart said as he motioned to show the whole office

"What exactly is this?" Dan asked

"This is my empire" Bart smiled as if he were the proudest father to this company that he had built from the ground up

"What exactly will I be doing?" Dan asked

"That is something that is to be determined on the go, but mostly I'll be plugging you in where you'll be needed. You'll be getting this as your salary along with these benefits" Bart said as he wrote down the numbers on a piece of paper before sliding it in front of Dan. Leaning forward to look at the salary he'd be earning, Dan did all he could to act like he wasn't surprised that Bart was able to give him this type of money

"Now I need to know what I'll be doing. This is insane amount of money" Dan replied in disbelief

"This is what you'll work for. I don't just throw money at people, you'll earn every ounce of this, which I'm sure you will do" Bart said "But along with your tasks, especially this first one, I had to place another lead on this project" he said

"Okay, I mean that's understandable. I don't really know what I'm doing so me on a project by myself would be disaster" Dan replied as a part of him was hoping that his first task would be stapling papers together or copying. Just as Dan settled in to hear his task, a knock came to the door which caused both Dan and Bart to look over. In a bit surprise, Dan shook his head in disbelief to see that it was Chuck.

"I had to put Charles on this project as well" Bart sighed as Chuck made his way inside the office

"Dad" Chuck greeted before turning his attention towards Dan "Am I disturbing something?" he asked

"Just the cycle of life" Dan muttered to himself which Bart was able to hear

"Look, I didn't do this as a means to create drama. If I could've avoided this then I would have, but I need you both on this project in particular" Bart said

"What exactly does this project entail that would require both Chuck and I?" Dan asked

"Richard Simpson, The Simpson account. I happen to know him on a personal level that enables him to trust me in signing over his property rights" Chuck said

"And I fit in where?" Dan asked skeptically

"In a very unique way" Chuck smiled just as his phone went off "I didn't stop by for long, I had to pick up the files but I will assure you that the account will be closed" he told his father

"Let's make sure we don't mix business with pleasure on this one" Bart told Chuck as he gave him a stern look

"Mixing pleasure with business is what got me lead on this, I think you should trust my instincts on this one…then there's a fact that I'm a married man now" Chuck told him as Dan could help but glare at Chuck at the last part of the statement "I'll meet you at the location. I trust a driver will take you over" he said

"Yes, the driver will take him" Bart replied as Dan seemed a bit unsure as to what Chuck was talking about before Chuck left

"I guess this is my part to leave" Dan said as he hesitantly got up to leave

"Dan" Bart called out before Bart turned to look at him "Breath. It's not as bad as it seems" he told him before Dan nodded in agreement just before he made his way out of the office. Walking towards the elevator, Dan pressed the down button before he found that someone else had come up to join him. Looking over to see that it was Carter beside him, Dan couldn't help but feel like this was some Twilight that he was in.

"Dan, what are you doing here?" Carter asked as he looked at Dan strangely

"Trying to figure out why the hell I'm in a Twilight zone" Dan uttered to himself

"Have you sold your soul to Bart or something? I never thought I'd see you in Bass Industries" Carter tried to joke but found Dan wasn't laughing one bit

"The same could be said for you, but then again, you just screwed over your best friend" Dan told him before the elevator doors opened up and he boarded

"Sooner or later we have to get past this" Carter replied feeling the wrath of Dan's glare

"I opt for never" Dan told him before the elevator doors closed in between the once best friends.

* * *

After they both had their respective long days at work, Dan and Blair went through silent eating as their main goal was to scarf down food. Luckily, Blair and Dan were aware of each other's habits since Dan was a constant at the penthouse, so living together wasn't that big of a stretch for them. Blair knew that Dan had certain things that he liked to do once getting home, and Dan knew that Blair had her certain things that she had to do. Getting ready for bed, Dan tiredly made his way into the restroom where Blair was finishing up on her primping for the next day so that she was dewy fresh and ready to conquer. Grabbing his toothbrush, Dan put his toothpaste on as the two stood in silence for a few moment before she too eventually grabbed her toothbrush to join in on the action.

"You looked good today" Blair told Dan as she finished up with her brushing

"I'd appreciate that if I wasn't seen as eye candy by a fifty year old strip club owner" Dan said as he looked over at Blair with his toothbrush hanging out his mouth

"What?" Blair asked with a bit of laughter

"Keeping it short, I worked with Chuck today on a so called project that he knows all too well. The project happens to like dark haired young guys" Dan replied as he put his toothbrush back in the holder as the realization came to Blair

"Oh…you met Richard" Blair laughed

"Yes, I met Richard" Dan nodded

"Well you do have a cute butt, it'd be hard for anyone not to find you attractive" Blair teased

"Thank you" Dan sighed as he allowed her to reach across his body to put her toothbrush in her holder before they headed into the bedroom to get in on their respective sides. Resting her head on his chest as they laid back in the bed, Blair enjoyed the comfort of being in his arms. "How was your day?" he asked as he let out a deep sigh

"It was challenging. Ursula is a pain in my ass. I almost had the nerve to tell Bex that I wanted off the assignment" Blair replied

"I'm sure she can't be that bad" Dan replied

"Oh, she's bad. Worse is more along the lines of what I'd go with, but a diva is what is she is" Blair replied

"Are you sure we should go to this premiere then? I mean if she's a diva and all" Dan questioned

"Yes, we are going to this premiere. I'm not about to let some crazed actress run me off from an opportunity to network" Blair replied

"Aw, this makes sense now, it's all about the goal of networking. Just what exactly are you shooting for though?" Dan asked

"To become junior editor at this point, but all in all, to be powerful" Blair replied as Dan just laughed

"The sad thing is that you're being serious with the whole powerful bit" Dan said "How did the whole lunch thing go with Tyler?" he asked as his eyes became heavy with sleep

"Horrible" Blair groaned as she wrapped her arm around his waist as she cuddled up closer towards him "It was everything I hoped it wouldn't have been, but then I kinds of knew it would be like that. I just don't know what he wants, and that irks me the most about people" she told him

"I'm sorry. I was kind of hoping that Tyler would be open to you guys" Dan told her "I'm thinking maybe his whole reason of reaching out to me is for the common ground effect, maybe he thinks he can use me to get information on the family" he tiredly told her

"Maybe, but he had no desire to get any information on our parents from me, his sister" Blair replied "Brother. I have a brother, that is a phrase I thought I'd never say" she laughed weakly to herself as sleep was catching up to her

"Having a sibling is fun, but then they go off and get married on you" Dan said half asleep

"So I take it by your yawns that we won't be having sex tonight" Blair replied as her eyes began to droop

"We…could" Dan replied as he was drifting off to sleep

"Sure…you kiss first" Blair replied before she finally succumbed to sleep as any movement between the two of them would've been while they were knocked out as they both fell asleep in the comforts of the others arms.

* * *

**We're gonna have a good day**

**And I fin to worry bout what noboy say**

**I'm still above ground that's the reason I pray**

**Got my car cleaned up now I'm ready to play**

**Make call to the sticks say I'm headin' dat way**

**Heard my cousin cookin out I gotta get me a plate**

**Got new outfit ain't even out in the states**

**So if they ain't speakin' to soon but this is a hell of a day**

**And these dickies got me sitin' in a hell of a place**

**Got my stunna shades on and grin on my face**

**My grill looks mean but I swear I'm straight**

**And the hood showin' love so I'm a okay**

Watching Chuck schmooze Richard had become a bit tiresome, dressed like the conformant employee that all Bass employees had become, Dan couldn't help but force smiles as being around Chuck was not an idea situation for him. On occasion, when Dan chose to listen in on the conversations that Chuck had with Richard on trying to sell the property to Bass Industries, Dan couldn't help but notice Richard blowing kisses in Dan's direction. Scrunching his face up with concealed disgust, Chuck did his best to keep Richard's focus but couldn't help but laugh to himself as Dan was serving useful.

**We're gonna have**

**We're gonna have**

**We're gonna have a good day**

**And all my homies gonna ride today**

**And all these mommies look fly today**

**And all we wanna do is get by today**

**Heyyy,We're gonna have a good day**

**And ain't nobody gotta cry today**

**Cause ain't nobody gonna die today**

**Save that drama for another day**

**Heyyy we're gonna have a good day**

Sending a 'Good Morning' text to her father just to let him know that she was still alive, Jenny hurriedly put her phone away as she had to scurry around the apartment to grab her stuff for school. Jenny was so used to Chuck being up early to watch the business news that came on but since he was out early for work, Jenny was unable to get going like she usually had. Looking over at the clock realizing that she only a few minutes to catch the bus, Jenny quickly ran over to grab a bagel before she locked up the apartment on her way out. Feeling as if she was going to be late for school, Jenny began to panic as she felt time go against her as she was coming up with all her excuses as to why she was late. Just as she located her subway entrance a limo pulled up beside Jenny. Stopping for a moment to see that it was apparently for her, the window rolled down as Jenny leaned over to see Penelope sitting inside.

"Come on Humphrey" Penelope told her as Jenny just laughed to herself in disbelief. Was her marriage really the key thing that had gotten her a pass with very girl that used to torture her days at school? Jenny questioned as she just thought to herself. Unable to protest, Jenny reluctantly got in the limo.

**We might as well do what the children sayin'Take a day off hit park and just hang**

**Barbque roll a few and put up your dukes**

**If it's beef put down the peace up and put down your dukes**

**It's time to change our ways**

**So we can save the day**

**For the children sake and make a better place to play**

**And if it's all good break out your click and grip your wood**

**And if you ridin' dirty just light your swift and blow yor sss...**

**But dot real big exactly like a player should**

**Enjoy your 24's do your thang and rep your hood**

Laughing and talking with Serena, Blair began to realize just how much she missed hanging out with her friend. It had taken time for them to get to this place, but Blair was glad that they were slowly coming back to each other. Blair's feelings for Dan while Dan and Serena were together were never expected, but they were also so strong that it nearly cost her the one friend she had needed most in life. Now as they sat and talked about all that was going on in their lives, Blair couldn't help but vent about the frustrations of her family with the newly added Tyler Waldorf then Serena talked about missing Eric as he was off in Switzerland.

"I just never thought you'd have a brother" Serena laughed "Tyler Waldorf" she said to herself as the thought

"And he's a journalist" Blair added "I always thought that Harold and Eleanor would breed doctors, lawyers, fashionistas or editors in my case…" she began to say

"Of course there's always an exception for you" Serena laughed

"Yes, but the important thing that we should discuss is how you managed to keep your relationship with The Jason Peters. An athlete, S, I never thought you'd pull that off…well, yeah I can picture it now that I think about it" Blair laughed "So tell me all the details? Where'd you meet? How is he in bed? What's his real annual income?" she asked

"Blair!" Serena replied as she could only laugh at how intrusive Blair was

"What? I just wonder do athletes make the money they say they make in the media" Blair laughed before her cell phone began to ring and deep sigh of frustration escaped her

"Who's calling?" Serena asked as Blair got up from her seat and began to gather her things

"Hell" Blair replied as she leaned in to give Serena a quick hug before running off to catch a taxi

"See you at the premiere tonight!" Serena called out as all she could do was laugh at the craziness that surrounded Blair

**The world is all yours**

**But still we all bound forever**

**In a day the choice you make is relly all fine**

Dominic had been on high alert all week long with the constant hits that were being taken on the warehouse. With the little bits of time that Carter did see Vanessa around the house, Carter knew that attempting to talk to her would be a certified death sentence for himself if he even tried. Though he hadn't tried to talk to her, Carter figured that with the little nods or exchanges between them was going to eventually lead to somewhere. Hearing the yells from within Dominic's office, Carter knew along with the rest of the guys as they sat out in the hall, that today was going to be a bad one. Looking over in Nikki's direction as he talked with the drivers, Carter couldn't help but think back to what he had seen a couple days ago, where Carter truly began to question if Nikki was truly on his father's side.

* * *

Papparazzi had come out in full force with light bulbs flashing at every corner just for a snap shot of Ursula von Cliff and the rest of the cast. Everyone that was anyone in the Upper Eastside had managed to show up to the premiere as even the savviest of business owners wouldn't miss out on any chance to hob knob with future investors. It wasn't strange to see her mother in the crowd along with Cyrus because Blair knew as well as anyone that Eleanor Waldorf had been the go to designer for fashion in movies. Usually Blair would lavish the idea of being around other celebrities but being a Upper Eastside resident, seeing celebrities were of the norm for him. Standing off in the corner, Blair looked on as Ursula soaked up the spotlight while Blair was happy to just get some bit of a break from the diva. Walking over towards Blair, Bex smiled for the possible camera's that were filming them in any sort before Blair eventually followed Bex into the lounge area of the theater.

"Good work Blair" Bex told her

"Thank you. I wish I could say that I loved this task, but I definitely can say that Ursula von Cliff is a diva" Blair replied as Bex just laughed

"They all are in the beginning, but you'll get used to this. It sucks at first, but you'll get used to this and then the big stuff will come along" Bex told her

"I thought I was going to be doing that?" Blair asked

"You will, but you have to go through the due process" Bex smiled

"And then what?" Blair asked

"The ultimate goal, you start getting your assignments from the ultimate goal" Bex said

"What's the ultimate goal?" Blair asked

"The Madame. You get assignments from The Madame, then you'll be on track to the ultimate goal" Bex told her as Dan walked up beside Blair to give her a quick kiss on the cheek

"Bex, this is Daniel Humphrey. Dan, this is Bex Simon, my boss" Blair introduced the two as Bex seemed to be smitten with Dan from the moment he arrived

"Nice to meet you finally. Daniel Humphrey, Eleanor speaks highly of you and that is minimal compared to the things Blair tells me" Bex replied as she shook Dan's hand

"I don't say much" Blair replied as Bex smiled at Dan

"It's nice to meet you" Dan smiled as Bex found her name being called by her publicist.

"Good work. We'll be talking soon, but until then…enjoy the night" Bex told Blair before she finally walked over towards her publicist

"Ursula made it in one piece. Good job" Dan said as he leaned in to kiss Blair

"Thank you" Blair replied as leaned up to give Dan yet another kiss on the lips "And you? How did the project go?" she asked

"I showed a little leg, got him to sign the paperwork" Dan muttered before Blair just laughed hysterically "Yeah, I knew you'd laugh at that" she said just as they heard Tyler clearing his throat to get their attention.

"Hey" Blair said a bit unsure of how she should greet Tyler

"Hey" Tyler replied

"What are you doing here? I thought you didn't do this scene?" Blair asked

"I had to write an article on the event, it's the only way to get close to a quote for a story that I'm working on" Tyler replied

"Right, there's the catch of why you'd dare to be in the same place as the rest of your family" Blair replied sarcastically

"Can I talk to you real quick?" Tyler asked as he looked over at Dan

"About?" Dan asked sternly as he didn't particularly like how Tyler treated Blair

"I think we should talk alone" Tyler said

"And I think whatever you have to say is something I don't want to hear" Dan replied

"You really shouldn't say that because we really need to talk" Tyler told him as he shook his head in disbelief as to how stubborn Dan was being

"Talking isn't your specialty apparently, and I'm not going to be your short cut in avoiding it" Dan replied "Now enjoy the rest of your evening" he said before he lead Blair away. Heading in towards the screening room, Dan glanced over to see Jenny and Chuck as they too were looking for their seats. Meeting his gaze, Jenny and Dan shared a moment of uncertainty as the pain between them still seemed to exist so much that it made it impossible for either of them to crack a smile. Giving a nod towards Jenny to accept her presence, Dan quickly broke the gaze as he focused on finding a seat for Blair and him.

* * *

Growing tired of the acting performance of Ursula von Cliff, Chuck found that another second of the movie was going to drive him insane. Everyone else seemed to soak it up that Ursula was a talent , but to Chuck she was far from it. Looking over at Jenny, Chuck could see that she was truly enjoying the movie as she couldn't stop smiling and laughing along with the characters on the screen. Discreetly getting up from his seat, Chuck made his way out towards the lobby to find that only a few stood about just trying to pass the time. Walking over towards the purchase counter, Chuck bought a box of Sour Patches.

"You always bought those things. Never liked them because they stick to your teeth, but you always wanted them" Bart said as Chuck looked over to see his father.

"They're good. You always eat what is bad for you" Chuck replied "What brings you to an Ursula von Cliff movie?" he asked

"Press and publicity, you know how things are" Bart told him

"I didn't think Bass Industries needed to resort to that" Chuck siad

"It doesn't but it doesn't hurt to align with celebrity endorsement on projects for vertical integration" Bart told him "We begin demolition on the Richard Simpson property on Monday" he then said

"Monday. Glad he listened" Chuck smiled

"Yeah, he was supposedly given extra incentives along with V.I.P status at Victrola" Bart said

"He has a thing for the guys, the dark haired and muscular type. Dan showed a little leg and I promised endless women at his disposal for the sake of keeping his wife off of his trail" Chuck told him "I know it's not how you would've handled things…" he began to say

"I have quickly learned that we handle things completely different….but it doesn't mean that either one of us is wrong. It's all about the result in the end, and you got the results" Bart said

"That almost sounds like you're thanking me" Chuck said as he took a moment to decipher what his father was saying

"No, it just means that you came through for me today, and after everything…I'm glad that you were able to help the company today. So I thank you for that" Bart said as he began to walk away

"It's not always about the company" Chuck called out before Bart turned to look at him "Maybe I helped because I just wanted to help you" he said as Bart and Chuck just looked at each other for their own confirmation as to what this moment meant between them. Turning to leave, Chuck felt the need to go after his father for one more minute of conversation but found that he should just enjoy the little that he got.

"Chuck" Jenny said as she touched his shoulder "Is everything okay?" she asked

"Yeah, it's fine" Chuck said as their hands intertwined "I think I was just talking with my father" he said as a smile slowly escaped him.

* * *

For most of the evening, Blair had to take on one final night of being with Ursula as she posed for pictures and took interviews. Feeling as if Blair was now venturing into publicist territory, Blair finally bit the bullet and secured Ursula for the spread in the upcoming issue of Modern along with a one page picture spread. Hearing the final confirmation, Blair was more than thrilled to have a weeks worth of torture come to an end as she had completed her assignment. As the crowd dwindled down and Blair had talked with those she wanted to network with, but as she let the night wane down, Blair began to notice that Dan was no longer at the theater. With each conversation she was involved in, in which people were thrilled for her new career path, Blair couldn't help but want to be in one place with one person. Breaking away from conversation suddenly, Blair quickly flagged down a taxi. Arriving at the townhouse, Blair slowly walked in to find that it was dark inside with only a flicker of candle light that shined from within the living room. Entering further into the living room, Blair couldn't help but notice the roses laid out on the floor that lead to a blow up mattress that was surrounded by candles. Emerging from the kitchen with two sodas in hand, Blair looked up to see Dan.

"What is this?" Blair asked as she put her purse down

"We didn't have much, but we had soda that night. Dad wasn't big on champagne but we had soda that night" Dan said as he handed the soda to Blair

"And I'll pretend to know what your talking about" Blair replied with a bit of laughter

"Really, this doesn't jog your memory?" Dan asked as Blair looked over at the blow up bed once more before it finally dawned on her what Dan was referring to. Looking back at the can of soda she had in her hand, Blair looked up at him before a laugh escaped her "We didn't plan for it to happen, but in some weird way…that night was perfect. That night was the night I knew that I loved you" he told her

"Even though I annoyed you?" Blair asked as she looked at him skeptically

"Especially then. I couldn't understand what I was feeling then, but I loved you, I still love you" Dan told her before he grabbed her hand and lead her over towards the bed

"It's the same mattress" Blair laughed as she kneeled down to sit on the corner of the bed "The exact bed, I remember that piece of duct tape in the corner. That's probably why I wanted to forget that night, never thought I'd lose my virginity on duct taped blow up bed" she laughed

"Yeah, I believe I put that there. Punctured it one day when I was going through boxes for my dad" Dan told her as he sat beside her on the bed

"But that night…it changed my life forever" Blair told him "It was the first time in my life where I felt like I was truly beautiful. You made me feel beautiful" she said as their foreheads pressed against each other. Feeling his heart race as a million beats per hour like it had that night, Dan took the bate as he leaned in to kiss her

"I still think my arms are too boney" Dan told her as he broke the kiss and began to unbutton his shirt while Blair began to unzip her dress

"I like your abs" Blair laughed softly as she relieved Dan of his shirt before he pulled down the straps of her dress to where it fell to her waist.

"I'm starting to see that I don't have as much chest hair" Dan told her as she began to undo his belt

"I love your jaw line" Blair said as she began to lead a trail of kisses along his jaw line as he slid her dress off "Your sideburns are starting to grow on me" she told him as she lifted the tank top over his head to toss to the side before he laid her back on the bed to where he was looking down at her "I love everything about you Dan Humphrey. Always have and always will" she said

"Always Waldorf?" Dan questioned

"Okay, well recently. A year and half worth of love" Blair laughed as her laughs became muffled once his lips attached to hers.

Dan laid her back to where she was completely on her back as they continued to kiss, crawling in between her legs, running his hands up her legs. Dan gently lifted her up and slid her panties off, gaining a glimpse of the promised land that had been his for the longest. Knowing she was more than ready, Dan slowly rose up to slide his boxers down before he leaned down to kiss her as he positioned himself in between her legs. Letting out a moan, Dan could hear her gasps as he slid inside of her as if they were once again losing their virginities to each other. Knowing her tendencies and what she liked, Dan wasted no time in pleasuring her as he began to thrust inside of her while he burry his face in the crook of her neck.

Rolling over on top of Dan, Blair gave him a minutes worth of respite before he burry his face in her chest. Lamenting every bit of her supple breasts, there was no part of Dan that didn't enjoy every inch of her body. Positioning herself on top of Dan, he felt like he was going to go insane, but she eventually slid herself deeper into him. Finding a steady pace for the both of them, Dan guided her hips as they moved in unisons with each grind. Moans filled the air as they distracted each other with lingering, intoxicating kisses. Reaching their point of ecstasy, Blair ripped her lips away from his as they both rode their high that they were both on before they ultimately collapsed.

Breathing heavily, Blair rolled onto her back as they both gasped for air. Looking over to see that Dan was breathing was beginning to calm down, Blair rolled over onto her side as Dan did as well. Facing each other, beads of sweat on both of their bodies, they both leaned in to kiss.

* * *

Watching the crowd dwindle down from the balcony above, Tyler snacked on his handful of peanuts that he had gotten from the bar. Unable to snag his on the spot interview to get his quote for his upcoming article, Tyler found himself became frustrated. Ever since he was a scrawny kid in high school, Tyler's main focus was to be a legitimate writer for the Los Angeles Times because it was always something his father and him had read together just for sport. Being in New York for the past couple of months, Tyler found that life was a bit fast paced than what he was used to back in Maryland. So when he didn't get his target, Tyler saw that as another let down in the heart of the city. Making his way down the staircase, Tyler was instantly joined by Sean, who seemed to be as dejected as he was.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a horrible movie in my life" Sean told his friend as he rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was awake "I think I saw your mom macking on some old guy" he then mentioned

"It couldn't be my father because he's gay, so I'm guessing it'd be her new husband" Tyler sighed

"Anyways, I saw them. Did you?" Sean asked

"I'm trying to avoid that scene, it never turns out well" Tyler replied as they made their way towards the exit

"Then what was the point of coming out here if you were just going to avoid?" Sean questioned

"Leaving the small town life, guess I must be a sucker for the city" Tyler griped before Sean just shook his head in disbelief before he finally stopped while Tyler continued to walk on

"Or you could just be chicken shit" Sean told his friend causing Tyler to stop dead in his tracks

"Excuse me?" Tyler asked as he turned to look at Sean

"You heard me, you're acting like chicken shit. Granted you had good parents growing up, but you always questioned about your real parents. You always dreamed of meeting them, wondering if you were like them or if you had their traits. I know because I was the one who had to endure the long list of questions while my main focus was trying to lose my virginity to a cheerleader…but no, all you've ever talked about as kids was how you wanted to get to know your birth parents. You get that opportunity, I don't have that opportunity because of reasons you know all to well. You have two sets of parents, while some like me don't even have one. So yeah, you're chicken shit and you need to accept that because the sooner you do, the sooner you might get those answers to those questions that I couldn't answer back then and damn sure can't answer now" Sean told him as he walked towards Tyler "No excuses this time, suck it up and get to know them…you've suffered enough, so don't stand in your way of something that might actually be something you want but are afraid to deal with" he said as he tapped Tyler on the shoulder before he walked on leaving Tyler behind.

**When it's black**

**Take a little time to hold yourself**

**Take a little time to feel around before it's gone**

**You won't let go but still keep on falling down**

**Remember how you save me now from all of my wrongs**

**Y****eah**

Wearing his dress shirt, Blair ran into the kitchen with Dan running close behind as she collided against the island. Laughing hysterically, Dan pinned her in between his arms as before he leaned in to kiss her neck. Giggling like a little girl, Blair couldn't help know that she was finally in her safe place, with Dan, she was in her safe place. Enjoying just being together as they were taking on a new journey together, Dan and Blair enjoyed the freedom they had to just enjoy their new place together. Picking her up to sit her on top of the counter top, Blair laughed as Dan cover her mouth with his as the kiss grew intense between them. Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, Dan made quick work of discarding the dress shirt from her body as their lips never parted. Quickly wrapping her up in his arms, Dan carried her for a moment before pinning her against the fridge as they embarked upon another session of love making.

**If it's love just feel it**

**And if this life will see it**

**This is no time to be alone, alone yeah**

**I won't let you go**

Looking on at the computer screen as they sat up in the bed, Jenny and Chuck looked on in disbelief as they watched her friends on her Facebook page grow by the minute as people that she'd only see and never talked to her were friending her. Turning to look at Chuck, Jenny couldn't believe that one commitment would allow her once pummeled popularity to increase as it was becoming more evident by the day that their marriage had catapulted her to higher ranks. Smiling at his wife, Chuck could only offer a shrug of his shoulders as he was uncertain what he should do.

"I'm not sure how I should answer this?" Chuck asked

"This is ridiculous" Jenny declared "Our marriage has made me popular. Not my who I'm friends with or who I've hooked up with at some random party, our marriage is the catalyst of this" she said as she pointed to her wedding band

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to go back into the depths of popularity to make the days go by a little easier at school…or are you going to rebel?" Chuck asked as he rested his head against the backboard while Jenny took those few moments to think to herself. Quickly grabbing the computer, Jenny erased her profile page as she began to type furiously for a few seconds before submitting the changes to be updated. "What'd you do?" he asked

"I put cartoons, Hannah Montana, Thrift store shopping, and Mcdonalds as my faves" Jenny smiled proudly while Chuck looked at her confused

"I don't get why you should feel happy about that?" Chuck asked before the beeping noise came from the screen to show that she was losing friends. Getting what she had done, Chuck just laughed to himself

"If I'm going to be popular, I want it on my own merits not because I'm setting some sort of a trend" Jenny told him before Chuck leaned in to kiss her.

**Say those words**

**Say those words like there's nothing else**

**Close your eyes and you might believe**

**That there is some way out**

"Would you like anything else Mr. Humphrey?" Bart's secretary asked as Dan looked on at his lavish office that Bart had set him up with

"No, that will be all" Dan turned to tell her

"Mr. Bass has scheduled a meeting within the hour, I'll be bringing in the necessary paperwork for you to go over so that you're prepared" Bart's secretary told him "Then you've been elected to write the press releases on the events that the company has done, which the deadline has been extended since you're just starting…" she said as she continued on to give Dan the rundown of his day while all Dan could do was turn back to look out the window at the New York skyline, thinking that this job will be nothing more than him paying the bills and whatever boredom he was sure to get would be worth it when he'd be able to give Blair the life she's accustomed to. Taking a seat in his chair, Bart's secretary continued to talk while all Dan could do was stare lifelessly out the window.

**Open up**

**Open up your heart to me now**

**Let it all come pouring out**

**There's nothing I can't take**

Sitting alone at the table, Eleanor looked out the window to see a mother and son walking by looking as if they were having the best of times. Though Blair had said she was coming to terms with learning the truths of her Eleanor's actions, Eleanor could still feel the shame in Blair's voice as they spoke earlier. Eleanor knew that if she was going to make things right, she'd have to learn a little thing called humility for herself. She may have had the age to say she was wise, but Eleanor quickly found that the lessons she needed to learn as a parent was something that would be never ending. Realizing that her phone was ringing, Eleanor reluctant to answer.

"We'll do interviews. Interviews on upcoming lines or your perspective in fashion. Maybe like a little fashion corner, I'm sure my editor would like that since your name carries a lot of clout in this town" Tyler quickly told her once she answered

"I'm confused" Eleanor replied

"We do interviews that range from five minutes every week and then we go from there. That's all I can give…that's all I can handle" Tyler said as Eleanor recognized that he was trying to get to know her

"That's fine. An interview would be fine" Eleanor told him as a smile slowly came to her face.

**If it's love just feel it**

**And if this life will see it**

**This is no time to be alone, alone yeah**

**I won't let you go(Won't let you go)(Won't let you go)**

Hanging up the phone, Tyler looked on at his phone as he thought to himself for a moment as to what he had just done. Was he ready to have that relationship with his parents? He questioned over and over in his head. Should he just accept the parents he all ready had? He then wondered before a knock at the door caused him to turn his attention towards his guest. Walking in to take a seat in front of the desk, Tyler did his best to read his choice of character to involve in this possible mess.

"So what do you want? I didn't expect a yearbook guy to get my number…T.W. is it, right?" Carter asked

"Yes, that's my name, among others. I think you'll be happy that I called" Tyler said

"Right now I'm on the borderline of confusion" Carter replied

"Dan and you are friends, right?" Tyler asked

"You don't keep up much with Gossip Girl, do you?" Carter asked

"Dan won't talk to me, and seeing as I'm pressed for time on this, I had to find someone that could talk to him" Tyler said

"Dan isn't in the habit of talking these days, so coming to me..." Carter began to say before Tyler as he pulled the USB out to put it in between the two of them as Carter looked on at the device

"On this USB is a story that in detail destroys everybody that is anybody in this town. I'm talking every trust fund kid that you may know, including yourself. In less than one week, publishing houses will get the manuscript and then this will get rushed to the press for even more press" Tyler told Carter

"And this becomes my problem why?" Carter asked in confusion

"Because Daniel Humphrey wrote it, and in one week he will become popular and hated all in the span of minutes" Tyler told him before Carter leaned over to grab the USB.

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter:**

**Nappy Roots- Good Day**

**James Morrison- Won't Let You Go**


	6. Gone, Daddy Gone

**Author's Note: Hey everyone. I hope you guys are enjoying your summer. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. I really would love to hear your feedback so I know whether to continue with the story or not. So I hope to hear from you guys, and hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family,Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Five- Gone, Daddy Gone**

* * *

Putting her hair up into a floppy bun, Blair finished up taking off her make up before she eventually turned the lights off in the restroom. Dressed in her pajamas, Blair rubbed her hands with lotion as she could hear Dan rummaging around in the living room for the movie of the night. The couple had liked to believe that they were completely moved in, but Blair found that the things they needed most were the very things that were still in boxes. They'd make promises to unpack fully, but with their now hectic work schedules, that was becoming impossible by the minute. Coming out to join Dan, Blair flopped down on the sofa while Dan set up the movie. Once he finally managed to figured out the dvd machine, Dan joined Blair on the sofa as they watched the credits roll on the screen.

"Humphrey, The Big Sleep. The point is to stay awake, not get lulled to sleep" Blair replied as she looked up at him

"You wanted a classic, baby got a classic" Dan replied as he let out a Yawn

"We could've done…" Blair began to say

"No we're not doing Breakfast at Tiffany's. You've seen that movie a million times, literally. We have to expand on to other things" Dan told her

"I don't want to expand" Blair pouted as she let out sigh of frustration

"Are you seriously this upset over a movie?" Dan laughed "What's really going on? I mean surely there's got to be something else because you usually bite your words on the movies I pick" he told her

"First of all, I don't bite my words on the movies you pick, that was only twice to my recollection. Second, I've done so much alphabetizing and stapling that it's becoming annoying" Blair groaned

"I thought you weren't an intern? you're check clearly shows that" Dan asked

"I'm not. I'm like one step above intern, but I work for Bex so I'm a bit of her assistant but not quite" Blair told him

"There's too many technicalities in that" Dan said trying to understand her position

"I just wish I'd get more than the mundane tasks, you know. I want to do what I signed up for" Blair said

"And you will, in due time. I'm sure they're just testing you out" Dan said

"Two days is a test period. Two weeks is uncertainty….oh,no. What if they're thinking about firing me?" Blair questioned

"Why would they fire you? You apparently staple very well" Dan asked

"Because of The Madame. I haven't gotten any assignments from her, most of the interns have received small minimal assignments but of course that's an automatic failure waiting to happen. The Madame is my ticket to everything at the magazine" Blair told him in a frantic tone as all Dan could do was look at her for a moment of silence before he eventually laughed "Seriously?" she asked as she hit him on the arm

"The Madame? Who calls their boss that?" Dan questioned

"Apparently every fashion exec. Look, I gave up Yale for this…and this has to work…" Blair began to say

"Okay, rule number one in this townhouse. No talk of work because it clearly makes you freak out even more, you'll be fine and you'll find a way, you always do" Dan told her

"This sudden rule just has to put in place the day I'm having a career crisis?" Blair asked "That's very considerate of you" she added

"It's put in place because I don't wan you to have a panic attack, and trust me, there's plenty I can add about my robotic job" Dan told her as he pulled her closer towards him "Just relax, and trust that you're more than capable of getting the job done" he told her as he kissed the side of her face. "You'll figure this out" he told her once more before they heard the doorbell ring. Getting up from his seat, Dan walked over towards the door.

"We have company, that's a first" Blair smiled to herself "I wonder if we should take a picture of our first guest" she laughed as Dan opened the door up to see that it was his dad on the other side.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Dan asked a bit surprised

"I was on my way home from a gig. I thought this was your place, so I just wanted to stop by. Am I interrupting?" Rufus asked

"No, come in. We were just watching movies but nothing really" Dan told his dad as he closed the door behind his dad. Getting up from her seat, Blair smiled as she saw Rufus walking in to the living room.

"Hi, Mr. Humphrey" Blair smiled as she walked over to greet him

"Hello Blair" Rufus smiled as he observed the place

"Do you want something to drink or a slice of pizza?" Blair asked

"No, I actually won't stay too long. I just wanted to come by and invite you guys over to the loft for dinner" Rufus said

"You're getting back to cooking, the gigs must be getting slow" Dan said

"Something like that" Rufus said "I just wanted to gather the family together for a Saturday dinner. I'll make my famous pasta that you like…" he began to say

"Oh, I love that pesto pasta you make" Blair smiled happily

"And we'll have some of Dan's garlic bread. So what do you think?" Rufus asked

"I'm guessing by a complete family you mean Jenny as well, which will include Chuck" Dan concluded

"He is a part of the family now" Rufus sighed "Look, I really want just one evening where we can all just enjoy each other. You don't have to tell me now, but I hope to see you Saturday night" he told his son as Dan forced a smile to appease his father.

* * *

It was well into the night when Dan found that he was unable to sleep as easy as he thought. Feeling Dan toss and turn beside him in bed, Blair tried to ignore it for the fact that she had work in the morning, but as the time passed she felt the guilt. Quickly sitting up in the bed, Blair looked over at Dan to see that he was still laying on his side. Peaking over at him to see if he was asleep, Blair could see that he was still wide awake. Hearing him huff and puff on his side, Blair began to nudge his side so that he would sit up since she clearly couldn't sleep because of him.

"What?" Dan groaned as he remained on his side

"You might as well wake up and talk to me because you're not asleep" Blair told him

"I'm asleep. Go back to sleep" Dan told her as he moved away from her nudges

"Then you wouldn't be talking to me right now" Blair stated "Just get up so I can get some sleep for the boredom I have waiting for me tomorrow at work" she told him

"What would be the point?" Dan replied before Blair quickly grabbed her pillow to hit him on the head with

"So I can get sleep!" Blair declared as he finally gave in to her demands and sat up in the bed

"Fine, you don't have to be difficult" Dan sighed

"Sweetie, difficult is me shoving you out the bed and getting the rest. Considerate is what I like to call this" Blair smiled still half asleep "So talk" she then said as Dan groaned in frustration

"I don't know why it bothers me but it does…my dad's whole dinner invitation…then seeing Jenny and Chuck. All of that is just ugh!" Dan told her

"Why? I mean it's clear that your dad really wants to get the family back on track" Blair told him

"And I understand that, but why couldn't it be just Jenny and I then filter in the significant others" Dan suggested

"Because I'd like to believe that the significant others are now a part of the family now…well one in the literal sense and then we live together. Point being, Rufus wants to accept the family that is" Blair said

"And you accept the whole marriage thing? That marriage is a joke…" Dan began to rant

"But that's not your problem" Blair reasoned as he looked at her with a bit of confusion "I love you, but you like to take on the problems of the world while escaping the fact that you have enough to deal with. Jenny made her choice, and you can't change that now" she told him

"This dinner won't fix anything, our problems aren't going to be fixed with pasta and dessert" Dan told her

"Do you think he'll make that lemon zest pasta?" Blair quickly asked as Dan just looked at her "Sorry, got caught off guard with the Humphrey cuisine that you were putting into my head. The point is that, no, your problems won't get solved in a day but you need to start somewhere other than tossing and turning and being mad" she said

"I'm not sure I can say yes right away….I mean I hear what you're saying, I do. I just can't just up and play family all of sudden" Dan sighed

"I'll be there. Every step of the way, I'll be there with you" Blair said as she linked their hands together

"Because of the food?" Dan asked

"That and because of you" Blair said as she couldn't find the strength to lie to him "I really like your dad's pasta" she said giving him the pouty face

"I appreciate the honesty" Dan said as he leaned in to kiss her on the lips

"I'm on your team. At the end of the day, I just want you to have your family back and I think deep down you want that as well. I know you well enough Humphrey to know that" Blair told him after she broke the kiss

* * *

Watching closely for his every movement, Carter waited a moment before he crumpled up his newspaper to toss into the trash before he cautiously made his way across the street. Remembering that he went into the alley, Carter couldn't help but notice how suspicious he looked as Nikki looked around as if he feared a thousand eyes were on him. Nikki wasn't one to act so skittish in public, which only made Carter more certain that Nikki was in fact involved with the rival family. Carter didn't want to believe it, but there was only the facts to go on and that was that Nikki had been seen with the enemy. Noticing that Nikki was talking to someone in the alley way, Carter attempted to enter before he found himself cut off by Tyler. Trying not to look suspicious, Carter pretended as if he was about to turn around like he was lost.

"You're quite the easy mark to find" Tyler told him

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carter asked a bit jittery

"It means that either you're a shitty friend or you're trying to come up with some plan to stop this book" Tyler said "Which one is it?" he asked

"I'm working on it" Carter replied "I can't exactly make it rain, but I'm going to find a way to stop this book" he said

"Have you told Dan?….I was half expecting to see him come into the office for the book. You're best buds….I'd think he'd know by now" Tyler said

"We're not exactly on speaking terms, but we text every now and then" Carter replied sarcastically

"Don't you think he should know? This is his book" Tyler told him

"And how are you so sure? How do I know you're not trying to screw me over? You could be just doing this to stick it to him for some reason" Carter said "Enemies come in all shapes and sizes, I know that more than anyone at this point" he sighed

"What would I have against Dan?" Tyler questioned

"Nothing. I just think trusting people is a bad thing to do" Carter said as he ran his hand through his hair "Look, I've read the book and by no means does that book need to get out for sake of everyone in there" he said

"You mean because it involves Blair and all her friends. Yeah, I kind of picked up on the fact that he might not want that bit of passage out. I can help you, but you need to keep me in the loop because this book has managed to go on the special inside list, no pun intended of course" Tyler told him

"What does that mean?" Carter asked

"My editor likes to see himself as some book editor at times, but one thing that gets a book buzz is to float it around in the exclusive circle. The exclusive circle is usually compromised of those that have major ties in the biggest market industries. Only a few manuscripts are made, but people fight like crazy to get a hold of the original copies" Tyler said

"So you just find out who's in this exclusive circle and get the books. Easy" Carter told him

"I forget how naïve you guys are. It's not that simple" Tyler groaned

"Then why tell me! Give me simple, I can handle simple or somewhat close to simple if I was the trust fund kid I used to be" Carter sighed

"Are you okay? You're acting…weird mixed with strange" Tyler observed

"I'm good. I'm just worried about Dan" Carter said "How much money do I need to get my hands on this original?" he asked

"Hefty, the buy ins range in different parts" Tyler said "You could get a U.S. copy for maybe a couple of thousands and then the out of the country would cost more because there is an approximant of three manuscripts available" he said

"Thousands?" Carter asked in surprise "Okay, he revealed a bit but I wouldn't put it in the thousands range and why is there more out of the states?" he asked

"Overseas buzz will lead to an automatic in the states. It's all in the prospect of supply and demand, if people demand it then our job of the media is to supply it. Get the books, that's your only way of stopping this" Tyler told him

"And what are you going to do?" Carter asked

"Keep my ears open" Tyler replied as he began to walk away

* * *

Finding herself still a bit sleepy from the night before, Blair hoped that the taxi ride over to the restaurant would allow her to get some bit of sleep. New York traffic she figured was bound to give her at least a ten minute nap that she needed so desperately but to her dismay it didn't work out that way. Getting out of the taxi, Blair mustered up the strength to remain wide awake as she had looked forward to her lunch with Serena. Coming up towards the table, Blair couldn't help but notice that Serena was accompanied by someone. Didn't seem like Serena was put off by the guy, but it seemed like they were very familiar with each other and if Blair knew her friend, she knew that the biblical sense was involved in them knowing each other. Noticing Blair, Serena immediately turned her attention as she smiled from ear to ear to greet her friend.

"B, you made it" Serena smiled happily as she rose from her seat to give Blair a kiss on the cheek while the guy got up from his seat as well

"You knew I would" Blair replied as she looked on at the guy "Was this supposed to be a three person lunch?" she asked

"B, this is Jason. Jason this is Blair" Serena introduced the two as Jason extended his hand for Blair to shake

"Oh, I've heard so much about you" Blair smiled "S, can't seem to stop smiling about all things Jason" she told him

"That's good to hear" Jason smiled "Well I won't take up much of your girl time. I just wanted to stop by and see you before I head off for the road" he said as he turned to look at Serena

"Which was a great surprise" Serena smiled as she leaned in to kiss him on the lips

"Lunch is on me. Anything you guys want" Jason told them as he pulled out his wallet to give Serena his credit card "I mean it. Blair, I wish we could set something up to talk and hang out" he told her

"That can be arranged" Blair smiled as she took a seat

"Then we shall. Have a great day ladies" Jason said before he walked over towards his security before leaving the restaurant

"Wow, I thought you were lying but I'm glad to see I was wrong. Jason Peters of the something, something team" Blair said

"You mean of the New York Jaybirds" Serena laughed

"Yes, that's precisely what I was never going to get" Blair laughed along with her friend "How did you two meet?" she asked "I feel like I'm missing key details on this" she went on to say

"Well we met at a party that my mother was hosting. Of course Lilly didn't introduce us but the step dad happens to have clients on the staff of the Jaybirds and Jason is all about representing the organization" Serena said "It's been like a whirlwind romance of sorts" she said

"I bet. I'm just surprised the media hasn't picked up on you guys yet? Jerena or Serason could be your couple name" Blair teased

"Whatever. How are things? How is living with Dan?" Serena asked

"It's good. I mean we get along really well and it's like nothing is different" Blair said "We still have tiny bits of renovations to be done before the official housewarming party" she said

"I look forward to that" Serena smiled "How is work?" she asked

"Crazy and boring" Blair replied "I know I should be thrilled because I'm working with Bex, but I'm waiting to do something exciting. Something that is essential in the industry" she said

"Well I thought you were open to working up the ladder" Serena questioned

"Indeed, but this point in the game, I'm hoping for a bit of nepotism" Blair laughed

"You'll find a way. I'm most assured that you will" Serena smiled "How are things with your newfound brother?" she asked

"Nothing is going on with my newfound brother. I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad about it because I'm used to not having one and since he doesn't want to embrace the Waldorf name, it seems fitting to carry on acting as if I don't have one" Blair said

"But is he at least talking with Eleanor?" Serena asked

"They have coffee meeting every other week, but those aren't anything that have left her in good spirits" Blair said "Nothing is really leaving her in great spirits because Dan isn't exactly rushing to talk to her anymore since he's started work with Bart" she said

"Dan Humphrey working for Bart Bass, who would've ever seen that?" Serena laughed as she posed the question

"Along with Bart being his one time guardian. Alison definitely did a number that this family is still recovering from" Blair said "Jenny for the most part seems to be into her new marital status, even got her a few popularity that was until her latest post" she said as the two laughed

"I know, Chuck is so domesticated now. I see him as less sleazy now" Serena laughed "He doesn't hit on women shamelessly anymore. He works at Victrola to make an honest profession and has a place of his own, granted it's not penthouse luxury, but he's taken so much pride in it. He's growing up before our very eyes" she laughed

"Who would've thought" Blair joked "I'm happy for them, which is strange because that pairing is still taking time to get used to. I just have to get Dan around to the idea of them" she said

"You think Dan and you would be walking down the aisle soon? I mean you two are about as stable as they come in the couple category" Serena asked "You know pending the whole how you two got together" she teased

"And that was awkward and random questioning" Blair laughed "No, I don't think marriage is anywhere in our future. We're just trying to get our careers under control, manage living together, and enjoy coupledom" she said

"Then marriage" Serena teased as Blair shook her head with an emphatic no

"You might get married before I do since you have this new boyfriend that is all sports and all. I never took you for a girlfriend of an athlete" Blair said

"No, he's sweet. He's very genuine. He hates disappointing me, and when he does he always comes prepared with jewelry" Serena smiled

"Diamonds are a girls best friend" Blair laughed just as Blair's cell phone began to ring

"That's you" Serena told her as she looked on at her phone to see that it wasn't ringing. Pulling her phone out of her purse, Blair looked on at the caller identification to see that it was Bex on the line.

"Hello" Blair answered eagerly

"Congratulations, you've just received your first assignment from The Madame" Bex smiled as Blair couldn't help but feel elated that her chance to move up the ladder had finally come as an assignment from The Madame was big. "There's a book lingering in the exclusive circle…" she began to say

"Let me guess, a tell all" Blair stated

"You're Upper Eastside homebred" Bex laughed to herself as she was glad to see Blair knew what this was about "Since I'm well aware of your connections through Eleanor, I thought this would be your opportunity to show your skills on this. Get a manuscript of 'Insider' and let's just say life at the office will become more interesting for you" she said

"Insider, that's the name?" Blair asked

"Yup, it sure is. Not much word has been put out about it, but a local magazine is saying that a few socialites are turning up in this book" Bex told her

"And I'm guessing The Madame wants to be in on the secret of who is being named in this book" Blair concluded "How much time do I have?" she asked

"You have until Saturday to produce this book" Bex told her "Can you handle this? This could be your ticket Blair" she asked

"Yes, I'm more than capable of handling this" Blair smiled before she ended her call with Bex while Serena looked on eagerly

"Tell all book?…do tell?" Serena asked

"I'm sure it's the typical loser trying to claim that he knows the inner circle" Blair concluded as she went to typing on her Blackberry as she had to summon her minions

"And by the pace your texting, I'm assuming you're doing an all call for your minions" Serena smiled

"That'd be correct" Blair smiled as she didn't tear her eyes away from her texting to look at her friend "Who knows, maybe you might make an appearance in this book" she laughed

"Let's hope not. I'm not trying to scare off Jason from all that is in my past" Serena replied "Good luck, if there's anyone that can inspire a good witch hunt…it's certainly you" she smiled as she took a sip from her drink

"I will make this up to you. Maybe even do a double date with Dan and Jason involved" Blair said as she got up from her seat

"Love to" Serena smiled as she saw that Blair was in clear work mode as she was summoning her minions to report to the penthouse "Be safe….and legal" she told her friend as Blair went to hail a taxi.

* * *

Sitting at the water fountain, Dan took every moment he could to let time linger on as he was in no rush to get back to the office. Bart seemed thrilled to have him around the office, but Dan still couldn't get in to the robotic feel of the office. Dan was bringing in money that he never thought he'd see, even from working with Eleanor, which he was sure that was Bart's way of looking out for him. Wanting to show gratitude, Dan did his best to be open to Bart's advice as he found himself becoming more involved in Bass Industries. Throwing away his lunch in the nearest trash can, Dan looked over to see Carter talking with a guy in what appeared to be a disappointing meeting as Carter's facial expressions weren't looking to happy. Trying to avoid looking, Dan walked by but couldn't escape the fact that as he approached the two just as the guy walked away from Carter. Dan looked on at Carter as there was no way of avoiding eye contact with him.

"Hey" Carter told him

"Hey" Dan said as he played with the bottle of water in his hand while Carter looked on at Dan's suit and tie

"It's a routine thing now. The suit and tie" Carter said as he observed the dress attire

"It pays the bills" Dan told him with a bit of coldness

"I'm sure it does, but it's not you" Carter said "You hated the suit and tie. I happen to think that's why you chose to be a writer" he laughed

"Being a writer isn't something you do to avoid wearing a suit and tie" Dan quickly replied

"You would if it avoids this" Carter laughed as he found himself laughing alone before a silence came between them "Have you written anything lately?" he asked

"What is it with you and my writing?" Dan asked becoming a bit annoyed with Carter "My past time isn't being used to screwing over friends, so what difference does it make if I write or not?" he asked

"I'm not trying to piss you off because I'm sure my presence does that all on it's own" Carter said trying to calm his friend down "I was just concerned is all. Regardless of how mad you're at me, I still care about you. You're still my best friend and I'm trying to make things better" he said

"Have you tried getting help for your gambling problem or the fact that you work with Dominic Nicks?" Dan asked as Carter just shook his head

"Let's not get in to that" Carter replied

"Right, because it's fine for you to be in my business but it stops with you. That's sounds hypocritical" Dan laughed to himself "We're not friends. We can be civil because I'm sure we'll see each other around but we're not friends. You don't cost a friend a chance at his dream school" he said

"Okay, fine. Do you want this conversation to be over? Because usually when you get the snappy tone it's leading to it being over" Carter asked before Dan walked away "You're welcome by the way. I'm just getting turned down left and right trying to get a loan for your freakin book to be killed. Fuck! Can I catch a break" he said to himself as he groaned in frustration as he realized that people were looking on at him talking to himself.

* * *

Opening the door to enter, Dan began to loosen up his tie as he walked in. Taking his jacket off to hang up in the closet, Dan began to unbutton his shirt from the top as he looked around to see if Blair had made it in. Not hearing a peep from within the office, Dan walked around in search of Blair as he made his way into the kitchen. Spotting a familiar dish on top of the stove with a spoonful of the lasagna taken out of the container. Staring suspiciously, Dan could only detect that the lasagna could have come from one place and one place only. Just as his suspicion grew, Blair came out with her Bluetooth on along with two Blackberries in hand.

"Penelope, I didn't ask for suggestions. I need concrete news and your suggestion is only concrete that your brain is lacking much needed knowledge. Hazel, Kati, and Is you know better than to come up with lackluster results" Blair told her "I need to know who else is on this list" she said as she waited for her response "You have two hours to get me the other members beside Ms. Livingston that's on that list" she told her minions before she hung up the phone.

"Let me guess, you're scheming" Dan smiled as she walked over towards Blair to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Yes, I've managed to intertwine scheming with work. I knew that'd come in handy" Blair smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck

"Really? What's the task?" Dan asked as he began to kiss her neck

"An assignment from The Madame, which could possibly put me on the fast track" Blair smiled

"The Madame? The names get interesting in the fashion industry" Dan laughed "Is she like the gatekeeper to your editor position?" he asked as he kissed her cheek

"She's the gatekeeper to everything" Blair told him as she leaned over to kiss him on the lips "I have a surprise for you" she smiled

"Would that have to do with my dad stopping by to drop off food?" Dan asked as he looked at Blair to let her know that the secret was out

"I didn't know what to say, he cornered me with lasagna and I was hungry. I was so hungry and I was planning on picking up food from the penthouse but got caught up in trying to find out information" Blair told him as she quickly explained

"What'd he say?" Dan asked

"He wanted to know if we were coming to the dinner….and I told him we were" Blair told him hesitantly as he sighed "I know that you haven't come up with an answer yet, but I was cornered" she reasoned

"I was just thinking that we could do a lunch or something with my dad. I wasn't trying to do the family dinner thing quite yet" Dan sighed

"It won't be that bad Humphrey" Blair reasoned

"Sitting across from Chuck Bass is always bad, then to see him being all married to Jenny is going to be even worse" Dan groaned

"Look, I promise you that it won't be bad. I won't allow it to be bad because I will be there every step of the way" Blair told him

"You take on Chuck Bass" Dan laughed

"That'd be a piece of cake. You seem to forget that I have the greatest take down on my resume with Georgina" Blair smiled proudly as Dan smiled weakly

"That's a piece of history that is hard to forget" Dan said "I just…I like how things are right now. I just don't want change to come" he told her

"Nothing is going to change. I don't foresee change in the near future" Blair smiled as she leaned in to kiss him "But I do see a change in clothing….I'm thinking a bit of undressing" she said as lead him over towards the sofa

"So no more lasagna for the night?" Dan asked as they fell back on the sofa together before he leaned in towards her

"We can have more lasagna…after" Blair laughed as she began to unbutton his shirt all the way as their lips crashed against each other before his tank top was thrown to the side. Just as his hand traveled up her dress towards her underwear the sound of a cell phone went off causing them to come to an abrupt stop.

"I think that's you" Dan said as he lifted himself off of her before Blair leaned over to grab her phone

"I'm sorry, I have to take this" Blair told him before he eventually sat back to let her up from the sofa "Hello. Hazel, you better have news for me" she said as she got up from the sofa.

"And this is just bad" Dan said as he could feel himself still turned on from their hot and heavy make out session they had for a brief moment.

* * *

Sitting on the bench, Carter kept looking over his shoulder as he waited for the class to let out. Carter hated that it had come to this, but he felt as if he had bitten off more than he could chew all the way around. Feeling as if he had to make things right with not only his own life but with Dan, Carter just wanted to do something right rather than continuing to disappoint the people that he missed the most. Ostracized from most of the Upper Eastside, Carter actually found himself more interesting in Dan's book than he was in his own life. Of course Dan had laid in to him pretty badly in the book, but with the overall theme being that rich kids had no bounds. Carter should've been upset but he knew that Dan had an honesty in his words that most people hate to hear but only because it was the honest truth. Seeing the door open up, Carter quickly rose to his feet to see her coming up.

"Are you following me now?" Vanessa asked angrily

"I need to talk to you" Carter said as he walked towards her

"No, you need to stay away from me!" Vanessa told him "We're over, so stop thinking that I will change my mind" she told him

"As much as that pains me, I have to tell you that I really need your help" Carter told her

"With what? I can't possibly see myself helping you with Dominic's work" Vanessa exclaimed

"With Dan" Carter said as Vanessa looked at him skeptically

"What about Dan?…if he was in trouble then he would tell me, he wouldn't send you to tell me….you guys aren't even talking" Vanessa reasoned

"All of which is true, but Dan doesn't know he's in trouble because I'm trying to stop that from happening" Carter told her "Dan wrote a book, a book that has a lot of information about certain people in the Upper Eastside that may wreck his world. So I know that I'm this big asshole in your world now, but I'm just trying to help my friend….and I'm sucking at it" he told her

"Why are you telling me this? I mean besides the obvious reasons of me being Danny's friend" Vanessa asked

"Because of monetary reasons. I've gone to some of the investors in Victrola but they won't go against investing in me outside of Dominic" Carter said "I've gotten more rejections than I did in high school, and time is running out for me to get my hands on this manuscript" he told her

"How much?" Vanessa asked "How much does it take to get this manuscript?" she asked

"My sources are telling me the grand price has gone up to fifty thousand" Carter sighed

"Why so much?" Vanessa asked

"Original copy. First rights. Buzz worthy once it finally hits. Only one copy in the states" Carter told her "I would try abroad but I don't really know the inside connect outside of the states" he told her as he ran his hand through his hair "I don't have many options and I'm afraid that only one is popping up" he said

"Let me see what I can do. I can't promise you anything because I don't exactly have that type of money laying around, but I'll see what I can do" Vanessa sighed

"Thank you. I didn't know what else to do….and I just want to handle this before it gets out of control" Carter said

"Don't worry about it. I'm doing this for Danny" Vanessa replied as she began to back away

"Do you want me to walk you home?" Carter asked

"I'm a big girl Carter" Vanessa called out as she continued to walk away

* * *

Playing with random objects on his desk, Dan busied himself as his boredom was getting the best of him. On occasion he would look out the window at the secretaries, making up stuff about their lives into mini stories to entertain himself while he just sat and sat in his office. Finishing up the press releases for the upcoming events, Dan mostly finished that task in the span of one hour of coming to the office. Bart would occasionally pop in to check in on him, which started to drive Dan crazy but again he wanted to make an honest attempt to show gratitude. Hearing his phone begin to go off, Dan looked down at the caller identification to see that it was Jenny calling.

"Hey Jen" Dan answered

"Where are you? I went by your place and you weren't there" Jenny asked

"Because I'm at work" Dan replied "Bart has this gala coming up and I needed to do the press releases for it then I had this newsletter to write for" he told her

"You working on a Saturday, who'd ever think that would happen" Jenny laughed to herself as Dan couldn't help but feel like it was yet another shot at what he said he'd never do. Though he knew that Jenny never meant to say it like that, but Dan personally couldn't help but feel that way within himself. "So has dad stopped by to talk to you about the dinner?" she asked after a moment of silence

"Yes, he used tactics" Dan sighed

"The pasta. He got to Blair with the pasta, didn't he?" Jenny asked with a bit of a laugh

"Yes" Dan replied

"Are you going to go?" Jenny asked "I know that with things being the way they are…." she began to say

"I didn't want to but Blair seemed to put our bid in" Dan told her

"Oh, that's good" Jenny replied "Chuck thought it'd be great to go, so I guess our significant others are all for this dinner" she laughed to herself as a silence came between them "I hope this dinner will be what dad wants it to be" she said

"I hope for a lot of things as well, but I guess Blair wants the same to happen for us as well" Dan said

"What do you want?" Jenny asked

"I just want things to be better" Dan admitted hesitantly

"So do I" Jenny smiled "So I'll see you tonight then" she said

"Tonight" Dan told her

* * *

Walking up towards the open door, Blair took a deep breath before she eventually extended her hand out to knock on the door. Looking up from the task she was working on, Bex smiled to see the brunette standing in the doorway. Leaning back in her chair, Bex turned all of her attention towards Blair as Blair made her way in. Playing with her hands nervously, Blair hated that Bex had been someone that she could actually talk to because it only made what she had to say even more difficult than need be. For a moment, Bex just sat waiting for Blair to speak as she was eager to hear Blair's progress on the assigned task that The Madame had specifically handed down to Blair, but found that the silence only grew while her nervousness became more apparent.

"This won't be good, will it?" Bex asked as she looked at Blair skeptically

"With many attempts, some maybe lingering on illegal, I was unable to get my hands on the book" Blair reluctantly told Bex as Louis made his way into the office with his eyes scanning over the latest scans

"Everything looks good. Just shoot me an e-mail and I'll talk to…" Louis said before realizing that Bex wasn't giving her usual sarcasm "Am I interrupting something?" he then asked

"When aren't you interrupting something" Bex sighed as she looked over at him "Blair got her first assignment from the higher ups" she said as she looked back over at Blair

"And how did we do?" Louis asked unsure of how he was supposed to react

"She failed" Bex told him

"I'm sure if I had more time then I could get something on this book" Blair reasoned

"Time isn't always our friend in this industry. You have to be able to use connections, make connections, hell even sell out a few people because at the end of the day you live and die by a deadline" Bex told her

"If it makes you feel any better, I failed my first time around with The Madame" Louis said trying to offer an encouraging word of advice

"I wish it did, but it doesn't" Blair sighed "Is there anything else I can do? I'll do whatever it takes, I just need to show you that" she told them

"This was your chance" Bex told her "Look, I know this was an impossible task, but that's what The Madame looks for. Someone that can make the impossible very possible" she said

"So that's it? I go back to scanning and copying files?" Blair asked

"For now" Bex told her "Maybe down the line you'll receive another task, but you should consider yourself lucky that you got assigned this early" she said as Blair felt no comfort in the reassurance they were trying to give to her "You should probably get back to your desk, there's a meeting in two hours that you may need to take notes on" she told her as Blair got up from her seat

"I'm sorry once again" Blair apologized before she made her way out of the office. Walking over towards the door to close it behind her, Louis turned back to look at Bex

"That was your assignment. I specifically remember that you were assigned to get that book, why pass it off on her?" Louis asked

"Because she wanted an assignment, so I gave her one" Bex replied

"One that would keep her off the radar of the higher ups? That doesn't make sense" Louis said

"It does, when you think about it" Bex smiled "Blair is privileged and she will always have a privileged mentality. She needs to work for every scrap she gets and she won't get that mentality by thinking her little high school connect will get her there. She has to go beyond and I'm just the person that can teach her that" she said

"So by giving her an impossible task that was supposed to be yours, that helps her how?" Louis asked "You just shot any chance she had because we both know The Madame does not like no as an answer. The person qualified to handle this was you" he said

"Yes, and I know exactly how I would've handled it" Bex smiled

"I'm sure of that" Louis smiled at her

"When I get threw with her, I will make her more than qualified to work in this business. It's all about who you know" Bex told him

"I'm done for the day. If you need me then you know how to reach me" Louis said as he made his way out of the office. Walking down the hallway, Louis greeted the oncoming looks that came from the female colleagues that seemed to be thinking other thoughts when they looked at him, but at this point it didn't phase him because he was so used to it. Pulling his phone out as he got on the elevator, Louis dialed the number and quickly got an answer on the other end "I need a favor from you. It has to do with a little book that's coming your way" he said in his native French tongue.

* * *

Heading out of the building after a disappointing day at work, Blair sighed as she just wanted the day to be over with. Failing at her first task handed down by The Madame, Blair felt as if her opportunity that she had wished for had gone and went without her ever really putting her best efforts forward. Looking on at the time on her watch, Blair calculated how much time she would have until she'd make it to the house to get changed. Dan had been texting throughout the day, going back and forth on if he should even go but she was glad that she was ultimately able to convince him to follow through. Blair knew that even though he was hesitant, Dan was glad to hear from Jenny and maybe she thought the two would be able to rebuild from tonight. If there was anything hopeful about the night it was that maybe The Humphrey bunch would work it out. Wanting to hear his voice as the disappointment of the day only seemed to make her even more upset.

"Hey beautiful" Dan answered the phone that only caused her to smile

"Where are you?" Blair asked

"I'm currently putting my famous garlic bread in a container to take. Where are you?" Dan asked

"I'm hailing a taxi as we speak" Blair smiled

"I'm sort of uber excited about tonight, which is strange but I guess I should be hopeful" Dan told her

"You should" Blair told him "Aren't you glad I ignore you when you complain about Jenny's marriage to your self imposed arch nemesis?" she teased just as Louis made his way over towards her. Looking over at him, Blair could see that he wanted to talk to her. "I might be a little late, so I'll just meet you over there" she told him

"Okay. Hurry up though, I'm starving for some pasta and I hear it's the lemon one you like" Dan laughed

"I love you" Blair told him

"Love you too" Dan said before he ended the call

"The boyfriend?" Louis asked

"Yeah, we have a little family dinner tonight" Blair told him "Did you want to scold me privately?" she asked

"No, I didn't come to scold. Scolding isn't my thing" Louis laughed "I wanted to tell you that I could very well have an opportunity for you to redeem yourself" he told her as Blair perked up with eagerness

"Really?" Blair asked

"Yes. I have a lead in Le Mans, it's a ways out of Paris. I have a few friends that are big literary buffs that tend to get the official manuscripts before anyone else. We could possibly get this manuscript" Louis told her

"When?" Blair asked

"As early as tonight. What do you say? Fly out tonight and possibly get your Insider?" Louis asked as Blair seemed a bit timid "I'd fly to get it, but I think this will have my name written all over it. The Madame will be impressed by your reach to the other countries" he told her

"Is there any other night we can do this?" Blair asked as Louis laughed to himself

"I understand that you have plans, and by all means I'd keep the sane life as much as possible away from this world. This opportunity, this one shot that you have will put you on the wait list of your own career because failing once means your prone to failing in the future" Louis told her "You make the choice, but either way I'll understand" he told her as his limo pulled up while Blair felt the time ticking in her head.

* * *

**So sentimental, not sentimental no**

**Romantic not disgusting yet**

**Darling, I'm down and lonely when with the fortunate only**

**I've been looking for something else**

**Do let, do let, do let, jugulate, do let, do let, do**

Knocking on the door, Dan felt a bit uncomfortable as he was so used to just walking in since it was a place that he had spent most of his life. Opening the door, Rufus smiled happily to see his son as he opened the door wide enough to show Jenny and Chuck, who were all ready gathered around the table. Dan felt the urge to run but like Blair had insisted, the only way to make things better was to move past what had happened in the past. With his container full of garlic bread, Dan hugged his father before he entered the loft.

"Where is Blair?" Rufus asked

"She's on her way" Dan told him

**Let's go slowly discouraged**

**Distant from other interests on your favorite weekend ending**

**This love's for gentlemen only that's with the fortunate only**

**No, I gotta be someone else**

**These days it comes, it comes, it comes, it comes, it comes and goes**

Gathered together in the darkened office with only the dim lights from the overhead to give light, Carter paced the floor anxiously while Tyler sat at the desk on the phone. Noticing how nervous Carter was getting, Vanessa couldn't help but feel like this was bigger than just a simple book that was coming out. She feared for Dan but at this point, Vanessa could see that Carter was really trying to help his friend out more than anything. She had come through with the monetary aspects, which she hoped would help but from the look on his friends face, it was proving to be useless.

"Okay, thank you" Tyler said as he ended the call and hung up

"What'd they say?" Carter asked

"The only copy was bought for sixty thousand, but was shipped overseas. So it's basically going to be an overseas commodity" Tyler sighed

"What does that mean?" Vanessa asked

"It means we have time, but not that much. It will be a hit overseas, which will allow any publishing house overseas to drive the price up on the states" Tyler told him

"We have to tell Dan. I mean if he comes forth then maybe it won't be as bad" Vanessa said

"No, it will be bad" Carter shook his head in disbelief

"It's the only option at this point. Someone needs to come forward" Tyler said "He has to face the music because anyone can claim the book" he said

"And he will, just not the actual Dan Humphrey" Carte said after a few moments of thought

"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked

"It means that I wrote 'Insider', Carter Baizen. I'm going to come forth as the author" Carter sighed

"You can't be serious?" Tyler questioned

"I'm all ready the villain, why not add to my resume" Carter told him as he turned to look at Vanessa "And this stays between us. Dan doesn't need to get effected by this" he told them both as they both drew looks of confusion.

**LisztomaniaT**

**hink less but see it grow like a riot, like a riot, oh**

**I'm not easily offended**

**It's not hard to let it go from a mess to the masses**

Looking down at the pointless brown squares of land beneath her, Blair sighed as she looked out as New York had been an hours worth out of her sight. Glancing at her watch, Blair could see that she was well past being waited on but she could only hope that once she returned that she'd be able to explain the reasons why she had to. Feeling the vibrations come from her cell phone, Blair looked on to see that it was Dan calling. Caught up in deciding whether to answer or ignore, Blair ultimately felt as if she had to ignore the call because if she couldn't think about what she had done in fear of it interfering with what she had to do.

**Lisztomania**

**Think less but see it grow like a riot, like a riot, oh**

**I'm not easily offendedIt's not hard to let it go from a mess to the masses**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter**

**Phoenix- Lisztomania**

**Author's Note: So I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Each character is very much starting on their own storylines so we're getting into the course of things now. **

**I know some may be dissappointed with Blair for the decision she made, but I mentioned in the beginning that she will have a Devil Wears Prada type of storyline going on. So if you've seen that movie then you'll know what I'm talking about. Being a successful business woman is her ultimate goal, so we'll see how that will work with trying to have a relationship because her job will have her jet set and do things she's never been used to. It will definitely be more advanced than high school. The Madame is key to her storyline.**

**Dan is definitely in a rut, and some of you may be labeling him as an ass, which is good because that's what I want you to do. I know it's strange but Dan is just going through something. I wanted to address some of things that Dan has a problem with, and his storyline will definitely do that.**

**Dan and Blair will get some angst, but angst that I assure you will make them stronger. I wanted them to get back to the fundamentals of why they're good together and I think seperately they need to go through things to appreciate each other. It's the phrase, "You have to love yourself, before you can love someone else". So keep that in mind when you feel they're being a bit unappreciative of each other and know that they'll be fine in this story.**

**Serena and Blair will have more time together coming up as will the Nate, Blair, Chuck and Serena. They're storylines will lead them together to take on some issues as one of the members of the group will be dealing with something serious that will change things. I'll hint that it's an issue on the show that I wished would've been better handled.**


	7. Tommy Boy Getting Married

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your reviews/feedback, I really enjoyed it so please keep it coming. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I look forward to hearing what you guys think. I changed the title because Rufus and Lily aren't together or getting married so I tweaked the title.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Six- Tommy Boy Getting Married**

* * *

Pulling up in front of the town house in the midst of the morning glory as the sun began to set, Blair took a deep breath as she looked out the window before getting out. The driver lifted the trunk up to retrieve her bags while she waited for them on the steps. Thanking the driver with a generous tip, the driver smiled happily before she took her keys out to let herself in. Dropping her bags down in the entrance way, Blair expected to smell some sort of coffee aroma come from the kitchen but found no such thing. Walking in further, Blair could hear the sounds of him in the bedroom as it was around the time he would get ready for work. Standing in the doorway, Dan took in her presence as he saw her image through the mirror while he continued to get dressed for work by putting on his watch.

"Good morning" Blair said hesitantly

"Good morning" Dan replied as he turned to grab his dress jacket

"I didn't smell any coffee in the kitchen, I almost thought I had missed you" Blair smiled weakly as she walked in to the room further

"Nope. I have the regular nine to five to attend to" Dan told her as she couldn't quite gage if he was upset or not

"This was work, that's all it was. I had to get this manuscript and I couldn't get it in the states so I had to fly to Le Mans…" Blair began to explain

"Did you find it?" Dan asked

"…no" Blair told him hesitantly "It was for another book that was coming out, it was the wrong book" she said as a silence came between them

"I'm not mad" Dan sighed

"You look it, I mean I know your faces Humphrey and that seems mad or disappointed if I had to take another guess" Blair said

"I don't necessarily love the fact that you said you were going to be one place and then off and went somewhere else" Dan told her

"Which I understand" Blair replied

"I'm not mad, I just…I just wanted you to keep your word on this one thing" Dan said

"How'd that go? Dinner with your family?" Blair asked

"It went okay. We're not exactly The Brady Bunch, but it was a civil dinner" Dan told her

"See, it was fine. You were just hyping this up in your head" Blair told him as a smile came to his face. Looking on at each other, they're walls began to crumble as the only thing they really wanted was each other. Walking towards her, Dan leaned in slowly to kiss her on the lips before deepening the kiss as he wanted to give her the proper hello that she deserved.

"I missed you" Dan said as he broke the kiss

"I missed you too" Blair smiled into another kiss "This isn't as bad as the months apart for when I was at New Haven" she said as she broke the kiss as she wrapped her arms around his waste

"No, it's not New Haven distance but I think any distance at this point sucks" Dan told her as he pulled her close to him "I hate that I have work or else I'd be working on other things that I'd much rather be doing…doing being the operative word" he said softly into her ear

"I'm sure we can work some thing out for tonight" Blair laughed as she let go of his embrace "But I must let you go or else I'll want you to stay here so I can ravage you" she joked

"You don't hear me complaining" Dan replied as they playfully played with each other, making it a point to touch each other as they smacked hands. "I actually have good news for you" he told her

"Oh, you do. What would that be?" Blair asked

"I'm hanging out with my dad" Dan smiled happily

"Okay, I like that but I'm not sure hanging out with your parents is supposed to be the ultimate play date" Blair laughed

"No, I meant to say that I'm hanging with my dad and my Uncle Tommy" Dan said "Well he's not really my Uncle but he's my dad's best friend, and he's like some ultimate rolling stone and he's coming back in to town" he told her

"Have I met your Uncle Tommy?" Blair asked

"No, he's basically a guy that does stop in visits. Usually has road stories that leave you envious and jealous of his life, but then you realize his biggest accomplishment is to not get too big of a hangover" Dan laughed

"And I'm guessing you aspire to him?" Blair asked "Did he come to your mother's funeral?" she then asked

"No, he doesn't do funerals" Dan quickly replied "I try to say that in the nicest way possible but I mean it, he's just a guy that can't handle the crying scene because of his own choices in life" he said as Blair just looked at him as to why he was so excited to see this guy "I know it's weird but you'd love him" he told her

"I look forward to meeting him, I think" Blair said

"Maybe you could meet him, it may be a bit raunchy but you'd like him. I guess this dinner did have a lot of good to come out of it" Dan smiled as he pulled her close to him

"I just hate Louis had us on a wild goose chase for this book, when I could've…" Blair began to say

"Louis?" Dan asked "Who is that?" he asked

"My boss or a guy I work with that is higher up…he's sort of like the international fashion consultant" Blair tried to describe

"So you went with Louis? You traveled to another country with Louis?" Dan questioned as his tone turned serious

"Yes. We work together and he has access to a private jet" Blair told him as Dan took a moment to process what she was saying before he turned to grab his jacket "What's wrong?" she asked

"You forgot to mention that point" Dan told her "And that's the point that should've been mentioned first" he said before he made his way out of the bedroom

"We work together!" Blair reasoned as she stood in confusion as how it all went from good to bad all in a matter of seconds

"You should've told me!" Dan called out as before he closed the door behind him as all she could hear was the door slam.

* * *

Walking around the club along his side, Jenny couldn't help but be amazed with all the work that Chuck continued to put in to Victrola. While Jenny prepared for school, Chuck was always in his business mode as his passion was always business above all else. On occasion, Chuck would explain stuff to her but she merely did that as a point to just do something with him other than watch him work. This weekend had become a big night for Chuck and Victrola as they needed to bounce back with a big night since business had been stagnant for a few months, so there was nothing Jenny wanted more than to help her husband achieve positive results. Flipping through files as they walked over towards Carter and Nikki as they all took a seat.

"Hey Jen" Nikki replied as he leaned over to give Jenny a quick hug and kiss

"Respecting the obvious friendship to each other, but what is Nikki doing here?" Chuck asked as he looked over at Carter

"Relax, it's too early in the morning for you to be bitching me out" Carter sighed as the waitress put his cup of coffee down before him "Thank you so much" he thanked the woman

"I'm here to help Carter fulfill his promises" Nikki replied as Chuck didn't bother to ask any more questions because he knew that with Nikki it would all lead back to Dominic's entanglement into the business

"Where is she?" Carter asked as he stirred his coffee while a dashing Serena made her way into the club

"I'm here. I'm here" Serena declared as she made her way over to take a seat next to Chuck

"Now that everyone is here, we can finally get down to business on the little things" Chuck said as he leaned back in his chair "Guest list, have you finished yours?" he asked as he looked over at Carter

"Just the usual business click from my father's side" Carter sighed as Chuck looked over at Serena

"The usual, Nate just confirmed that he was coming so that's the only added" Serena told him

"Okay, so mine remains the same with drinking provisions on the wife" Chuck said

"You make me feel so much better as I'll be sporting the lovely stamp that says don't serve me" Jenny said

"That's only for appearance purposes, but I wouldn't exactly plan to get plastered" Chuck told her "Have you found your dress or whatever? I've informed the media and expect a lot of papparazzi out" he said as he looked over at Serena

"My stylist has come through with a one of kind, thanks to a friend, but I'm good. I'm sure it won't be hard to show up and take pictures, I'll even do this whole tweeting thing to bring in more bodies for the night" Serena said

"So does this whole it-girl shows up to a club thing work for you guys?" Nikki asked

"Yes" Chuck and Carter quickly replied

"We use it sparingly, but we love to use it in desperate times" Chuck said

"You might even get a local celebrity to come to the party" Serena said as she looked on at her cell phone

"Who?" Chuck asked

"Jason Peters" Serena smiled as Chuck and Carter looked at each figuring that it could only help "Now if I'm not needed for anything else, can I go? I have an emergency lunch meeting " she asked

"You come late and leave early? How do you do business like that?" Carter questioned

"Easy, just be me" Serena laughed as Chuck motioned for her to go

"I'll see you lovely people Saturday night" Serena told them before she got up to leave

"I don't think there is much to cover besides the staff that will be on that night" Carter said as he put his sunglasses on to hide the hangover that he was sporting

"Greg, Lindsay, Trent, Andre, Sara, and Lauren. That's who I want on staff that night" Chuck read off from his list

"That's great and good but you're forgetting a major person that should be working that night based on her experience with these events" Carter said

"I'm not forgetting, she doesn't need to work that night" Chuck replied

"Who are you forgetting? I mean they all sound good" Jenny asked

"Oh, that's why" Carter said as he looked over at Jenny for a moment before looking back at Chuck with a bit of grin "Put her on. I'm good with everyone else, but I want her on for my own sanity and money reasons" he told him

"We don't…" Chuck began to say

"I'm calling her and telling her the good news" Carter said as he got up from his seat with his cell phone pressed against his ear while Nikki followed suit before they both walked off.

"What's he talking about?" Jenny asked as she sat in front of Chuck

"Danica. He wants me to put Danica on" Chuck sighed as Jenny seemed a bit confused

"Danica as in you infamous sex buddy Danica?" Jenny questioned

"Look, I didn't want to put her on but she's the only one that can handle the bar" Chuck began to ease Jenny's uneasiness about the situation

"Yes because that's all she handled with you" Jenny replied with a sarcastic smirk "But I'm good. Business is business, so do what you have to do" she said before she leaned in to kiss him on the lips to show that she was fine with it

* * *

Leaning forward to put her cup on the tray, Blair sighed in frustration as her day had only served to be that of running around like a crazy person for copying paper work and then figuring out what Humphrey was so upset about. Trying Serena first, Blair had learned that Serena was booked up with meetings as she had to get prepared for her weekend's worth of appearances at clubs and parties that she was getting pretty heavily for. So she had to settle for another set of ears to listen to her problems that was of peer advisement to her. Coming down the staircase, Jenny walked over to join Blair in the living room of the penthouse as she still couldn't believe the lifestyle that Blair was accustomed to. Greeted by Dorota as she took her seat, Jenny turned down refreshments from Blair's handy helper.

"So explain to me just how involved Chuck and Danica were? I mean I get the tame version but I sense some thing else" Jenny asked

"Right after we deal with my problem, I called you for me so in selfish reasoning I need me figured out first" Blair told her

"On Dan? I thought you had him down pat by now?" Jenny asked

"I do, but this was a curve ball that he through at me" Blair reasoned

"Okay, well what happened?" Jenny asked

"We were talking and I explained that I was working, which is why I had to fly half way across the world" Blair told her

"What went wrong? Nothing sounded bad in that statement. He can't fault you for working" Jenny reasoned

"Exactly! So what I went with Louis, I was working" Blair said

"And that's where the problem comes in" Jenny said as she found the reasoning as to why "Who is Louis?" she asked

"A guy that I work with" Blair explained as Jenny gave her a look "Don't do that, we work together. He was gracious enough to help me find this book and chartered his private jet for us to fly out" she said

"Chartered private jets? Blair, while that sounds okay logically, you have to understand from a guy perspective that it's not. It' like cheating without the actual cheating involved" Jenny said as Dorota couldn't help but nod in agreement leaving Blair even more confused

"We work together!" Blair reasoned

"Logical to the female mind, not so much to the male mind" Jenny told her just as Eleanor walked off the elevator with Tyler in tow with her.

"I'm not trying to trap you, I just have to grab some pictures that you may want to add to your piece" Eleanor said before she realized that Blair and Jenny were there "Blair, what are you doing here?" she asked a bit surprised

"Nice to see you too mother" Blair replied before she looked over to see Tyler standing by the elevator "You can come over, we don't bite" she told him as Tyler reluctantly walked over

"What's going on?" Eleanor asked

"Nothing" Blair quickly replied

"She flew off to Le Mans to with a guy named Louis, who had a chartered a private jet" Jenny quickly added

"Really?" Blair turned to look at Jenny as she asked

"Oh, so Dan's upset" Eleanor quickly concluded

"How do you get that from that? It's nothing to be mad about" Blair reasoned

"Yes, but he's a guy" Eleanor said "Sweetie your partner wants to be aware of all things and everyone, not just what you care to share with them because that will eventually lead to crazed thoughts of infidelity" she said

"We work together!" Blair declared "Fine, so every person I work with I have to inform him so he can be spared infidelity thoughts?" she asked

"Not every person, but it'd be good to mention that you're flying to different parts of the country with another guy…does he have an accent?" Jenny asked

"Yes" Blair answered reluctantly

"Oh, that makes it worse" Jenny said shaking her head with a bit of laughter

"So when daddy would fly on business trips with co-workers, you'd think he was cheating if he didn't tell you who he was with?" Blair asked

"Yes, and he was" Eleanor replied as Tyler and Blair looked at her "I believe he's living with the person he cheated on me with" she smiled

"This family always gets interesting with each time that I hear about it" Tyler said to himself

"So the next time I work with a female, I'll take this stupid precaution and tell him so he won't have to worry about me cheating on him" Blair sighed in defeat

"I would because it's not like cheating with the same sex isn't out of the realm of possibility" Eleanor agreed

"What do you think?" Jenny asked as she looked over at Tyler

"I think I should stay out of this" Tyler replied

"Why? You're family, add your two cents" Blair turned to tell him "What's your opinion?" she asked

"I think…I think honesty is important in every relationship, regardless if it's over small things" Tyler said

"And that is the guy perspective" Jenny smiled

"I hate to say this Ms. Blair but I agree. You should make things right with Mr. Humphrey instead of letting it fester" Dorota told her

"I don't let things fester" Blair pouted

"And on that note, I will grab those pictures so we can wrap up the interview" Eleanor smiled on at Tyler before she made her way upstairs

"Interviewing again?" Blair asked as she looked at Tyler

"Yes, the fashion spread is all the craze" Tyler smiled weakly

"Whatever cop out makes you feel better" Blair replied

"You know, I think I'll wait for her in the lobby" Tyler said as he grew even more uncomfortable being around his sibling. Walking over towards the elevator, he quickly pressed the button

"You can't run forever" Blair called out before he boarded the elevator

"Now that we've discussed your problem can we get to mine?" Jenny asked eagerly "Danica and Chuck, give details?" she asked

"Danica and Chuck, let's see….nothing serious. The only thing I knew of her was that she was just a bed mate with Chuck in high school" Blair said

"After Katie or before?" Jenny asked

"After. Chuck soothes his pain in the destructive ways not the constructive. There's nothing to worry about because I'm sure you two are getting all the sex you can have now that you're married" Blair said

"Not exactly" Jenny replied hesitantly

"What does that mean?" Blair asked

"It means we don't have sex. We have yet to have sex at all" Jenny said as Blair couldn't help but laugh "And that's funny?" she asked

"You're married!" Blair exclaimed

"I'm also the same girl who's first time was having a guy force himself on me" Jenny replied as Blair couldn't help but feel guilty for laughing earlier

"Jenny, I forgot. I'm so sorry" Blair apologized "I never would've…" she began to say

"No, no it's fine. I don't really think about it as much, but it's just this aspect in our relationship that is there but we never discuss. He's supportive and doesn't pressure but I'm not oblivious to the fact that he's had numerous sexual encounters with different women" Jenny said

"But he's different with you" Blair replied "Jenny, Chuck loves you. He's clearly in love with you or else he'd be pressuring you for sex or wouldn't even dare go through with marriage. Chuck's his best version with you" she said

"I get that. I just…I can't help but wonder if or when this whole waiting will get old for him. I can't help but feel nervous because every girl and every late night, I wonder if tonight is the night it'll all be too much for him" Jenny said

* * *

Letting out a yawn as he tiredly made his way up the steps, Dan was just glad that he got through yet another crap filled day of work. Meaningless meetings had filled his days where he had to go on and on about the production of each quarter. Dan did his best to fit in to Bart's world but it felt like each day that passed was yet another day that he felt like a man walking around in a monkey suit that just wasn't him. Dan hated that everyone could tell that he was out of place in the corporate world, but a piece of him felt like being in that world in this suit was the only means of surviving to at least be the man he wanted to be. Entering the house, Dan quickly noticed that the house was lit with candles through out as there was no need for him to turn on any bit of light. Putting his briefcase down, Dan quickly noticed the lacy sight before him as Blair stepped out in skin tight fitted lingerie.

"Welcome home…honey" Blair smiled as he stood back and took the sight in of her in the seductive garments

"What's this for?" Dan asked as he walked towards her

"Just me appreciating you for a long hard days worth of work that you've put in, along with me missing you in certain ways" Blair smiled seductively as she began to take his jacket off

"You sure it's not for anything else?" Dan asked as he looked over his shoulder to watch her every movement

"There's no other motive" Blair whispered into his ear before she tossed his jacket to the floor then lead him over to the sofa "How was your day?" she asked as she sat him down

"It was…long and tedious" Dan sighed

"Oh well, I can tell by that sigh that long and tedious was long and boring" Blair laughed

"That could also be deciphered" Dan laughed "You?" he asked

"Oh no, tonight is about you. I really don't want to talk about me" Blair smiled as she moved behind him so that she could begin unbuttoning his shirt from behind

"I highly appreciate the lingerie. I mean I didn't even know you had that specific one" Dan said

"That's because I bought it today specifically for you. I figured that it was time to show you something different" Blair spoke seductively so that he could hear her every word "I wanted you to feel something different than the normal" she said as she relieved him of his shirt before she placed sweet kisses on his neck. Loving the feel of her lips pressed against his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist, Dan ran his hands through her hair as his desire for her only grew by the minute

"I forgive you" Dan moaned before he turned to pin her back against the sofa while she began immediate work on tugging at his belt

"Good, glad that we got that out the way" Blair smiled seductively as she leaned forward to capture his lips with hers before it became a race to relieve him of his pants as he savagely broke away from her lips to begin kissing her neck while he grinded against her "It was all just one big misunderstanding" she said as she broke the kiss

"Misunderstanding?" Dan questioned as he stopped in mid kiss "It was a lack of information" he told her

"Okay lack of information, but it's not like I can tell you every second of the day as to who I work with" Blair reasoned "But that's all in the past because work is work" she said before she attempted to kiss him once more but he had sat back on his legs as he ran his hand through his hair. "What?" she asked

"You don't get it. This is all just an attempt to have sex when we need to talk about the real problem. You went away with another a guy and forgot to mention that, do you not see something wrong in that? You flew halfway across the world with another guy and told me nothing about until two days later with you walking through the door" Dan told her

"It was work. I wasn't romantically involved with him, so I don't see the purpose in making a public service announcement on who I'm working with because newsflash, I'm going to be working with a lot of people that I may not have time to tell you about because it's just a fast pace business" Blair told him

"No, you had time. You had time to sleep, then you had time to tell me that you're in some country with some guy that I know nothing about" Dan told her

"Okay, so if I work with a female model in Argentina or something do you want me to call every second to let you know who I'm with?" Blair replied as she sat up on the sofa "I'm sorry but this is my job now. I can't control what and who I work with" she said

"And I get that, I know that you go after what you want with every thing in you but the only thing I ask, the one thing I at least want is for you to respect the fact I'm your partner in all of this" Dan told her "I should've known because I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it if I'm working with another female that you know nothing about and jet setting with them" he said

"I wouldn't care!" Blair replied "If your job calls for you to work with a female, who has said accent, then I would be fine because at the end of the day you're not romantically involved with said female and I trust you" she said "I guess my real question is…do you trust me?" she asked

"As of late, maybe not" Dan said as he got up from the sofa "I'll sleep in the guest room tonight" he said before he made his way into the guest room.

* * *

Looking on at the progression that was being made of Victrola's big night, Chuck couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with tasks. Carter was a bit of help, but Chuck knew most of his time was being spent running errands for Dominic, which he wanted to know nothing about. Putting his clipboard to the side, Chuck wanted to take a moment to relax as he took a deep breath in and out before he just took in the fact that Victrola was his baby. This was the one thing that Chuck had worked for, the one thing that he knew like the back of his hands. Watching the dance rehearsal of the dancers, Chuck was surprised to see that he was being joined by a familiar presence. It wasn't anything new to him but he wasn't too surprised that they would finally bump in to each other finally.

"I had to make sure you were real or a fantasy because surely you wouldn't have me working the same time you were present" Danica smiled as he turned to look at her

"You should know that Carter wanted you on, not me" Chuck said as he got up and headed back towards the bar

"It's fine. I need the money anyways" Danica told him "How have you been?" she asked as she trailed behind

"Married" Chuck fired back

"Is that your latest conquest, marriage?" Danica asked

"No, it's called my latest great discovery" Chuck said "We should go over ground rules. One, stay away from me. Two, there isn't anything between us" he told her

"Relax, I'm not interested in you as of two minutes ago" Danica replied as they took a seat at the bar on the bar stools "Coke and rum. Vodka on the rocks…that is still your favorite, right?" she asked

"You remember a drink, am I supposed to be impressed?" Chuck asked

"I remember a lot about you, more than a drink but enough to know that this marriage thing is a cry for some attention. Is it the Katie thing again? You were always bent over that" Danica said

"There's the reason why you were always a mere stain on the bed sheets for me" Chuck grinned as he took a sip of his drink

"We weren't meant to be more, that's why you liked me. I never asked questions and I never expected any thing from you. We were your type of relationship" Danica said

"I'm over it. I've got the ring to prove it" Chuck said as he showed off his wedding band

"Nice" Danica smiled as she grabbed his hand and took the very finger he hand his wedding band on to insert in her mouth. Slowly sucking on his finger, Danica made sure to look him dead in the eyes before she licked the tip of his fingertip. "I remember you well" she smiled seductively as Chuck just stared at her

"Don't do that again" Chuck told her sternly

"I only do what you allow me to do" Danica said as the tension between them only grew with each moment of silence. Breaking the silence, Jenny walked up towards the two.

"Hey" Jenny said before Chuck quickly got up to give her a kiss on the cheek

"Hey, glad you made it" Chuck said as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek "If you have anymore questions then ask Carter" he told

"And if I want to get to higher ups?" Danica asked

"Go to Carter" Chuck replied before he lead Jenny back to the office

* * *

Nervously looking around, Tyler checked over and over around him as he wanted to be sure that he was alone. Logging on to one of the literary blogs, Tyler could see that books over seas in the message boards were beginning to be talked about but nothing new had surfaced. Opening up a new thread on the message board, Tyler created his own message which had linked Carter as the writer for an upcoming tell all book for the Upper Eastside. Tyler couldn't help but feel anxious as he wasn't quite sure how he should feel about going along with Carter's request to claim 'Insider' when he knew that Dan was the one that wrote the book. Tyler couldn't help but question if Dan even wrote it because it was like the more he got into this book mess then the more he was becoming tangled in the web of his family's life. There was nothing more Tyler wanted than to live a low key life and hope the inevitability of people finding out that he was Eleanor Waldorf's son would go away but he knew that'd be wishful thinking until the time did come. Submitting the new message, Tyler linked the replies to his e-mail so he could keep tabs on what people were saying before he logged off of his computer. Just as he prepared to leave for the day, Carter knocked on the door.

"Knock, knock" Carter said sarcastically "I've been trying to reach you, have you done what we've discussed?" he asked

"Nice to see you too" Tyler said as he continued to collect his things to put away in his bag "You know if you waned to keep a low profile between the two of us then you should probably stop coming around me" he said

"You're my best friend, people will understand" Carter replied sarcastically "Did you do anything?" he asked

"I put your name on the worldwide web, is that what you're referring to?" Tyler asked

"You put my name on some blog and that's your idea of doing something?" Carter questioned in disbelief

"The blogs are more powerful than you think" Tyler replied "Besides, should you be somewhere or doing something high schoolish?" he asked

"I'm not in high school anymore" Carter replied "Though my social life feels that way at times" he sighed "Will I be expecting any interviews or any thing literary coming my way?" he asked

"You're unknown to the world as of now but I expect that to change soon" Tyler said

"And how can you be sure?" Carter asked

"Look, I know this world. You should just trust me and figure out how you're going to handle the amount of hate that is going to come your way" Tyler replied before Carter looked over to see Eleanor walking towards him

"Carter" Eleanor greeted him before she looked over at Tyler

"What are you doing here?" Tyler asked

"You left your watch over at the penthouse and I thought you may need it" Eleanor said "I didn't know you two were friends" she then said

"We're not. I just wanted to invite him to Victrola for Saturday for some good legal fun" Carter replied "So I hope to see you there and bring singles" he turned to tell Tyler before he eventually turned to leave

"Thank you for the watch" Tyler said as he quickly walked over to grab the watch from Eleanor

"How do you know Carter Baizen?" Eleanor questioned

"Uh…through school. I did the senior yearbook and couldn't manage to shake most of the students I've worked with" Tyler relayed nervously

* * *

Sipping on a glass of champagne, Blair crossed her legs as she looked out at the busied streets of New York while she sat. Waiting in the lounge area of the Marc Jacobs while Serena was in the dressing room trying on clothes. With Serena's public appearances being her main job at the moment, Blair couldn't help but marvel in some of the perks that she was allowed to have. Dresses that were on a private buying list, purses that weren't even out yet, and shoes that were internationally flown in from the finest of designers. Serena and Blair were on the path to rebuilding and they were looking good while at it. Coming out of the dressing room in her robe while the seamstress made alterations to the final dresses she had selected.

"We should be done in thirty" Serena said as she took a seat beside Blair

"No, take your time. I'm highly enjoying the pampering that you're enduring" Blair laughed "Does Jason have you accustomed to this lifestyle?" she asked

"As much as I would like to put Jason's ownership of this, which he does do a good job of wooing, but this is from my publicists. She wants me to maximize my potential" Serena told her

"Only you could maximize your it-girl status as publicity. How much is Chuck paying you on this?" Blair asked

"Not much, he's getting more of a discount and this is more the pro-bono type of work that I'm doing for him" Serena said

"Well I'm sure Lilly isn't all to thrilled that it isn't a regular nine to five. I can hear her rants now" Blair laughed

"She's not too thrilled because she isn't quite sure how to label my job but it makes taking less classes easy on the guilt side of things. Don't get me wrong, I like the college life but it just wasn't for me. I like my job and I like doing what I do" Serena told her

"Having jobs and growing up. I never thought we'd get to this point in our lives. I completely understand, which has come to be the subject of my latest argument with Humphrey" Blair sighed

"Why what happened?" Serena asked

"I happened to take this whole finding Insider book to the extreme…I flew to Le Mans with Louis, a guy that I work with, all in an attempt to get the manuscript of Insider" Blair told her

"So did Dan know about Louis?" Serena asked

"No, but I was working. I was flying with him because he was the one with the connection to Le Mans" Blair reasoned

"But he had no clue about him" Serena concluded

"No, I didn't necessarily have the time to tell him" Blair said "I was flying on business and business only. I hated that I had to miss Humphrey's dinner with the family, but this was purely a business trip for my job, a job that I've wanted all my life" she said

"Which is understandable, but it's not about you doing business trips. B, he just wanted to have the respect to know that his girlfriend was with another guy and it is purely business reasons. Words can mean a lot as opposed to assuming that they should know" Serena told her

"….I still think he's making a big deal out of nothing" Blair griped "I still have to find a way to get out of The Madame's doghouse" she said

"You never found the manuscript?" Serena asked

"Never found it, and it's driving me insane. I mean I appreciate Louis's help but now I feel like I have to go over and beyond to find this manuscript. It's like a challenge and I hate losing" Blair told her

"Why do I sense that you're not through with this manuscript quite yet?" Serena asked as she looked at Blair skeptically

"Because I'm not. I hate failing and I intend to make my redemption by getting this manuscript" Blair said "Do you have any connections that stem to the outer countries and beyond to get this manuscript?" she asked

"Not for this. I wish I could help but maybe Jason would know something" Serena suggested

"Anything would help, but I need this manuscript…this could be my ticket to getting from copying duties to the magic that is the book" Blair said with a glimmer in her eye

"Do I even want to know about the book?" Serena asked

"It'd be hard to explain but just smile off in the distance along with me" Blair told her

* * *

Putting the money down on the counter top, Dan thanked the bar tender before he rounded up his bottles of beer. It had been rare for Dan to hang out with his dad, but since Rufus's long time friend, Tommy had come back in to town it was only necessary for all the guys to hang out. Usually when Tommy would come in to town, he'd have Rufus on a drunken bender for days until he left, which he was sure made his mother even more upset but there was never a better time than when Uncle Tommy came in to town. Dan was never old enough to hang out with dad and Tommy, but he'd always wish to get old enough so that he could partake in the good times they always had when they were together. Putting the bottles on the table, Tommy wasted no time in claiming his beer while Rufus strummed on his guitar as he waited for his set to come.

"Look here, we got ourselves a lackey now" Tommy laughed as he looked on at Dan "When did you start getting in to the monkey suits?" he then observed

"It's a long story, but it pays the bills" Dan told him "Drink up before I waste my money on you yapping instead of drinking" he laughed

"Dan works for his guardian that Alison set up" Rufus teased

"Oh, the stick up the ass Bart Bass. If there was ever a guy that I didn't like it was that stiff bastard" Tommy griped as he took a sip from his bottle

"How do you know Bart?" Dan asked

"Rufus and I knew of him, but it was only until old Rufy told me about Alison and him" Tommy said "Which I'm sorry for by the way" he said wanting to respect some bit of Alison's memory for Dan's sake

"No, its no problem. I'm not that sentimental over her death. It was what it was and it never really felt like a loss to me" Dan shrugged

"Dan" Rufus told him as he didn't like the manner in which Dan was talking about his mother

"So what brings you back in to town?" Dan asked

"Hasn't your father told you. This here is my bachelor party" Tommy said before he broke in to laugher

"What?" Rufus asked "Bachelor party. Wait is this for real and not some pretend event you make to justify getting plastered and doing lewd acts?" he asked

"It's my bachelor party. I'm getting married you jackass" Tommy said

"To who?" Rufus and Dan asked with a bit of laughter

"To a wonderful woman, who loves me like none other" Tommy said "Met her in a casino and we've been in love ever since" he told them

"How do you go from slot machines to wedding chapels?" Rufus asked

"I'm in love, that's all I can tell you. It's like she's the woman of my dreams" Tommy told him

"She'd have to be a dream because I'm not sure I believe that this woman exists. I hate to say this but Tommy, you're an awful person to be married to" Rufus laughed

"I know, I thought the same thing" Tommy replied "But she makes me better, she makes me accountable" he said

"How can you jump from zero to sixty so fast without thinking about it?" Dan asked still amazed

"Danny, if you over think things to death then you eventually end up dead. On matters of the heart, you have to jump in and jump in all the way. You can debate over and over in your head if something is right, but if you have a good thing then you have to hold on to it with all your might" Tommy said as Dan couldn't help but let the words sink in

"Marriage is still a big step Tommy" Rufus told him

"It is, but a man has to decide whether to live or to wait…I've lived and waited, so there really isn't other warning sign I should look out for" Tommy laughed "So enough with the wisdom, I need to get a buzz going. Bartender, more drinks please!" he said before he called out for the bartender to come over before Dan's cell phone began to ring. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Dan looked on to see that it was Blair calling. Stepping off to the side to take the call, Dan looked back to see that his dad and Tommy were all ready starting on singing on the guitars.

"Hello" Dan answered

"Hey, what time are you heading over towards Victrola?" Blair asked

"I'm not going" Dan replied

"Let me guess because it's a Chuck and Carter event" Blair concluded

"I'm not exactly eager to see them so I don't think that's really my scene" Dan told her

"This thing with Carter is a bit drawn out, don't you think? He's still your friend" Blair told him

"Not as of now" Dan sighed "Besides, I thought you knew that I was with my dad and his friend tonight" he said

"When was this supposed to happen? I would've arranged to come as well" Blair asked

"I told you a couple of days ago" Dan told her

"So clearly this is me missing something else, and this is you being upset about it?" Blair asked

"I really don't want to fight about this because it's not a big deal. This is a guys night out and I will just see you at the house" Dan told her

"I can come. I just need to make a quick appearance at Victrola but I can come" Blair told him

"It's fine. I just want to hang out with my dad a bit tonight" Dan told her

"Okay then. I will see you tonight then" Blair said before they ended the call between them.

"See you tonight" Dan said to himself as he looked on at the phone for a moment before he quickly tucked away his phone then went straight over towards the table.

* * *

**Love don't come so easily**

**This doesn't have to end in tragedy**

**I have you and you have me**

**We're one in a million**

**Why can't you see?**

Packed from front to back, Victrola had attracted the crowd that Chuck and Carter were hoping for. Chuck had done all that he could to avoid Danica's advancements but he was glad that it was a bit tame from what she was known for doing. Even though Jenny would say that didn't it bug her, Chuck knew that some bit of it was getting to her as certain things forced Chuck to work with Danica. Once the crowd had settled in and things were settling down, Chuck devoted all his time to making sure that Danica was nowhere near him and his main focus was to make sure that Jenny and her friends were taken care of with whatever they needed.

**I'm waiting, waiting for nothing**

**You're leaving, leaving me hanging**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**I treat you like a princess**

**But your life is just one big mess**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**When did your heart go missing, yeah?**

Posing with a few people, Serena couldn't help but enjoy the lime light of being the hit of the party. With a specific area designated for her and friends, Serena found herself constantly looking over to see if Jason had made it yet but found that he hadn't made it quite yet. It made Serena feel good to see that Blair was also partying alone as it allowed them to have more time to hang out.

**I meant every word I said**

**I never was lying when we talked in bed**

**I'm retracing every step in my head**

**What did I miss back then?**

**I was so, so misled**

Cracking open another bottle of beer from the fridge, Tyler ran his hand through his hair as he lazily made his way back over towards the computer screen. It was typical for Tyler to stay up until the wee hours of the night as he flopped down on the sofa. Putting the lap top on his lap, Tyler logged on to the message board to see that his forum had received a number of replies off his original thread. Seeing that people were biting on to the fact the author was coming forward on the book. Reading the multiple messages, Tyler felt as if he had to continue to spin with this story. Going into his pictures folder on his desktop, Tyler was relieved to see that he still had left over pictures from the senior project. Grabbing Carter's picture and dragging it on to the message that he was writing, Tyler wrote a message that finally gave a picture to the name that had been buzzing around the internet.

**I'm waiting, waiting for nothing**

**You're leaving, leaving me hanging**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**I treat you like a princess**

**But your life is just one big mess**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**When did your heart go missing?**

It had been an hour since Rufus had sauntered out of the bar to head home for an early morning, while Dan and Tommy hung back. Singing and drinking, Dan finally felt relieved in his own skin as there was no pressure to be anything but free. Tommy was celebrating his pending nuptials and Dan fully intended to make this a memorable night for the one guy that he had envied since he was little. Tommy brought perspective to Dan that he wasn't even quite aware of at the time. It was like being smashed in the face with a reality check that he hadn't really dealt with.

"I hate my job" Dan drunkenly confessed "I mean I hate it so much that I try to avoid looking at myself with this stupid suit on" he continued to say as Tommy kept drinking

"Then why have the job?" Tommy asked

"Because it pays the bills. I worked at Pepe's and I kind of liked it…didn't love it but I liked it because I didn't feel like a sell out. I hate this job, did I mention that?" Dan said as he slurred his words "Then my best friend screwed me over, I mean major and royal screwed me over. He took away the one thing I was working for…every thing is just bad, bad, bad. Everything sucks for me" he sighed

"Oh c'mon, I'm sure there is something that is worthy of not being registered as crappy in your life" Tommy told him

"There is…and I think it's time I start enjoying the good thing in my life. I'm going to embrace the good. You have inspired me, I thank you" Dan declared "To love!" he said as he held up his bottle

"To love!" Tommy declared as they clinked glasses before Dan quickly chugged his beer "Okay, we need to get you home before you bottoms up" he said as Dan finished up his beer and started in on another.

**I don't understand**

**How could you forget what we had,**

**It's so wrong**

The bottles came on a constant flow as Blair and Serena enjoyed the night. Carter had made his way over to ask about Dan's whereabouts, but once Blair had relayed to him that Dan had not come, it just seemed like a downer for Carter. Blair hated that things were so fractured between the two of them but she could also understand why Dan was a bit upset that Carter's problem had effected him. Blair didn't want to get in the middle because she didn't want to see another friendship effected like hers was with Serena, so if anything she was a big supporter of the two of them working things out soon.

**I'm waiting, waiting for nothing**

**You're leaving, leaving me hanging**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**I treat you like a princess**

**But your life is just one big mess**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**When did your heart go missing?**

**Yeah!**

Laughing with Penelope and Hazel, Jenny had managed to endure their shallowness for the evening as she was reminded here and there that they were fun to hang out with. Once their eyes looked over at Danica, Jenny was sure that she was going to hear all about this or hear giggles. Jenny couldn't help but feel even more insecure as she knew that even with Danica there were other girls that had had relations with Chuck in the bedroom. She tried to play it off but it was just something that was overwhelming her to the point that all it took was a simple look between the two that could've been so innocent that it amplified in her head for no reason. Putting her drink down, Jenny grabbed her purse and immediately walked off towards the office. Noticing that Jenny was heading towards the office, Chuck wanted to go after her but couldn't manage to break away from his conversation with a possible business investor.

**Things were so good**

**We had a little dream**

**A little dream together**

**Buy a house, settle down, do our thing**

**But you disappeared on me**

**And your heart, your heart went missin'I don't know how to find it**

**I don't know where it is**

**I don't know where your heart went**

**It was here just the other day**

**Now it's goneI'm gonna call the police**

**Call the investigator, the heart investigator**

Breaking away from the few groups of people that remained, Chuck put on what was left of his smile and dazzle. Sending an important thank you note to Serena for her contributions towards the night, Chuck was winding down for the evening. Finishing off tasks left and right as he was in a rush and was finally able to get it together. Opening up the door to his office, Chuck saw Jenny laying on the sofa as she rested her head up against the pillow. Looking as if she had been crying, Chuck made sure to close the door behind him before he walked over to take a seat on the edge of the sofa as he began to caress the side of her face.

"You know, it's not too late for us to end this" Jenny muttered

"End what?" Chuck asked

"This. Us. Our marriage" Jenny replied as she rolled over to look up at him

"Why would I agree to end our marriage?" Chuck asked with a bit of a laugh

"You know why, don't play dumb, you're too smart for that" Jenny said as she quickly sat up on the sofa "The sex. You like sex and I can't give you that because of my issues" she told him

"Because of you being raped?" Chuck asked

"Yes" Jenny replied as a moment of silence came between them

"I know that it's hard…" Chuck began to say

"Hard isn't even the word to begin to describe it. These girls, the girls that you've been with and it just doesn't add up to why you'd want to be with someone that can't give you sex" Jenny told him "I mean are you cheating…I just don't understand how you can hold out for so long and be this guy when it's clear that you enjoy sex" she reasoned as tears welled up in her eyes "Why wait until I'm ready?" she asked

"Because…" Chuck began to say

"I get that you were a playboy, I'm not faulting you for that. I just can't keep asking you to sacrifice on behalf of me" Jenny cried "I love you too much to request that" she said

"Then you should know that my because is because I love you" Chuck told her

"You may very well love me, but you love sex. You're Chuck Bass for crying out loud" Jenny reasoned

"And I never thought I'd hear the day where I hate to hear my own tagline" Chuck said to himself "I'm not with you for sex. I'm with you because you make me something I've never been before" he told her

"Sex deprived" Jenny quickly blurted out

"No, you make me better" Chuck quickly told her "I can have sex, that's plain to see but I don't want sex with you. I want more, I want to make love with you and I'm willing to wait however long it takes until we have that" he said "So I'm not ending us, if you want to then go ahead but I want this and I want you…problems and all, I want you and only you" he told her before he got up from his seat and began to walk over towards the door.

"Wait!" Jenny blurted out as she rose to her feet "Don't go" she told him

"I'm not leaving Jenny, I just need to know…" Chuck began to say as Jenny walked over towards Chuck to kiss him. Kissing him with reckless abandonment, Jenny wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. Holding her close towards his body, Chuck became unsure as to what this was.

"Now" Jenny told him as she broke the kiss while resting her forehead up against his

"Are you sure?" Chuck asked for clarification before Jenny leaned in to kiss him once more before he backed her over towards the sofa. Unbuttoning his shirt, relieving herself of her shirt, clothes began to shed one by one as they fell back on to the sofa.

* * *

Pouring hot coffee into a cup, Blair could see the steam coming from the cup as she was slowly beginning to wake. It was well past midnight when he had managed to stumble in from his hanging out with Tommy. Blair would've liked to believe that Rufus wouldn't encourage such a thing, but she knew that this Tommy guy was the one that probably egged him on. Meeting him up at the house as he dropped Dan off, Blair could only go off a little bit of what he knew about this infamous Uncle Tommy. Her only concern was to make sure her boyfriend wasn't too hung over for tomorrow. Sitting on the table in front of where he lay on the sofa, Blair tucked away the strands of hair that was on his face as he seemed to be sobering up a bit now that he was sweating it out.

"Hey booze head" Blair said as he began to stir awake

"My head hurts so bad" Dan groaned as he took the coffee that Blair had handed to him

"It should, you've been drinking. I even met your Uncle Tommy, we had a nice little exchange and by exchange I meant you" Blair told him

"Where did he go?" Dan asked as he sat up on the sofa

"I do believe he's rolling on to his next town, but he said that he'll keep in touch with you" Blair said "So you being mad, did it inspire this drinking or were you just living it up with your dad?" she asked

"My dad wasn't there" Dan quickly replied

"That makes me feel so much better" Blair replied as a silence came between them "I get it. I was sitting at Victrola and I just saw these half naked girls prancing around trying to pick guys up, and I just kept thinking….if Humphrey even thinks of talking or dancing with any of these girls…I'd kill you" she said as she drifted off into thought "I'd respect you for asking to have an innocent dance with another girl or making it painfully obvious that I'm the only girl you'd ever want to talk with. I wouldn't like it, but respect is big in a relationship and I took that from you" she said as Dan just stared at her for a moment as he just thought to himself

"I love you" Dan told her

"I love you too and I hate arguing or being upset with each other" Blair said as she grabbed his hand

"No, I don't think you understand what I'm saying" Dan told her as he looked her dead in the eyes

"I get it" Blair replied "I get all of it" she smiled "I love you and you love me" she added

"I've made bad choices in the small bit of time I've had on earth" Dan said

"I think you're over exaggerating and letting the alcohol getting to you" Blair said

"I wish I was" Dan told her "Everything has sort of fallen in to place, but the one thing that just seems to be logical is you" he said "You're my next step in life and I don't want to wait for anything else to go bad. I can't handle anything else going bad" she said

"You okay, you sound like you're writing your death speech or something?" Blair asked with a bit of a nervous laugh

"Marry me?" Dan asked as Blair laughed nervously for a moment thinking he was joking before it finally dawned on him that he wasn't joking at all.

"Oh, wow" Blair replied as it all began to set in for her.

* * *

**Music/ Lyrics used in this Chapter:**

**Rooney- When Did Your Heart Go Missing**

* * *

**Author's Note: So you probably weren't expecting that cliffhanger, but yes, Dan really did go there. I guess the real question is what will Blair's response be to his question. **

**Dan is beginning to project what's wrong with him and while it's annoying, it's something that some people do go through especially in life. He's going through something and he seems to be taking it out on everyone else, but there is a question or a root to why he's doing what he's doing, so he really has to work through this. **

**The Scandal part of the story will start to kick in the upcoming chapters and Nate will actually be getting a storyline in that part of the title. So I'm actually excited about that because Nate never really has a point on the show, so this way he'll have one in this story.**


	8. The Grandfather Part II

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews. I greatly appreciate the support that you guys are showing to the story that it makes me more eager to bang out more chapters. So please keep sending your reviews/feedback. I hope you guys will enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your feedback.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Seven- The Grandfather Part II**

* * *

The moment stood still, it was if everything was on freeze frame for the two of them. Dan looked on at her while she looked back him with skeptical eyes, hoping that some part of him was going to crack under pressure. Reaching out his hands, Dan gathered her hands in his as he looked down at the form of union that could possibly lead to a lifetime of them being connected in ways that went beyond the physical touch. His heart raced at a thousand miles per minute as he waited for her response, knowing that she was probably plotting the wedding her mind as to how it would reach the dream she always pictured for herself. In this moment, Dan was sure. Dan was positive that this was what he wanted and she was the one thing in his life that hadn't gone wrong in the face of things that had. Feeling the sweat come from his palms, Blair looked down at their hands before she looked up at Dan's eager eyes.

"I know I should have a ring, but I kind of had this realization tonight. I'll get you a ring, the one you want" Dan began to babble "I'll look into that first thing…" he began to say

"No, I think the effect of proposing is still there with or without the ring" Blair quickly interjected

"You sure? Because I feel like this is all ready a half ass proposal and I don't want you to look back at this as the half ass proposal Humphrey gave me" Dan told her

"I don't think that's how I'll peg this moment" Blair laughed nervously as she continued to look on at their hands

"But this is real. This is me asking you to marry me" Dan told her as a silence came between them

"Okay" Blair said as she shook her head to show that she got the confirmation of what he told her

"Sorry about the hangover mode, but I hope…" Dan began to say as the silence still lingered

"Why?" Blair quickly asked as she interrupted

"Why?" Dan asked

"Why do you want to marry me? Why do you want us to get married?" Blair asked "I mean that's just the thought that's going through my head, and I think once that's answered then we can go ahead with the whole answer" she said "Do you get what I'm trying to say?" she asked

"No, yeah. I completely understand what you're saying" Dan told her as he let out a deep breath before he went in to thought mode "Do you want like a reason or moment in which lead us to here or….I'm not quite sure on the question?" he asked

"I need to know why?" Blair asked "I mean do you get what I'm saying?" she asked nervously

"Uh…I love you. You know that, I've loved you since that Christmas eve. I guess, a part of me knows that this is something that is solid and I just want to add to this. Our relationship is like a house, we've fixed it to our liking so now we can just add features to it, you know" Dan said as Blair scrunched her face up in confusion

"So we're a house?" Blair asked

"No, we're not a house per se, we're more like a cell phone plan. We have a great network of communication and now we're just updating the new features" Dan said hoping that it was a better comparison

"What features are we exactly trying to get to?" Blair asked

"….I don't know. I mean I know but I don't think there's an ultimate feature, I assume it's marriage. I just know that we're ready for that new plan or added feature in this relationship" Dan said

"Uh…you kind of threw me. I totally didn't see this coming, and I like the why as to why you proposed, somewhat. I don't know I'm….I'm in shock. I mean are you still drunk or…are you sobering?" Blair asked

"No, I'm sober. I'm as clear as day right now" Dan assured her "Waldorf, you're the next step. You're dependable and you're loyal…you're just solid…like a good cell phone plan" he stumbled through

"I'm glad…I don't know if that's even the right thing to say in this moment, but a good cell phone is great to have" Blair replied "Can I have time?" she then asked a few moments

"Sure. I mean I expect it you to have time and then I'll have a ring. How much time per se? you know so when I get the ring?" Dan asked

"I don't think this is something I can give you a time table on…actually you don't even need to get a ring. I mean I know you proposed and I don't think we need a flashy ring to show it" Blair laughed nervously

"I want to show it. I want people to know that we're on a new level" Dan said

"A new cell phone plan with added features" Blair sarcastically replied

"Exactly!" Dan said "So….." he began to say

"We should go to bed" Blair quickly suggested

"Are you sure?" Dan asked

"Positive or if you're not tired then we could….drink that bottle of Vodka that Dorota gave us" Blair suggested as Dan looked a bit confused

"I'm a bit hungover still…but if you want to drink, I suppose that's good" Dan said

"….I think I should" Blair smiled nervously as she got up from where she sat to make a quick bee line to the kitchen

"To our possible lingering engagement" Dan called out as she opened up the cabinets to grab the bottle of Vodka, contemplating if she needed a glass or even two.

"Uh huh, let's drink to that possibility" Blair replied as she quickly opened up the bottle of Vodka and began chugging on it in her lonesome while she stood in the kitchen.

* * *

Playing with his pen as he sat at his desk, Tyler found passing the time with his pen was far more enjoyable then watching meaningless story topics come in. He had seen story ideas from dog names that were popular, best food places to get fish, plants that have a great designer feel, and every other meaningless topic that he cared nothing about. On occasion, Tyler would check in on the message board to see that people were craving more and more of Carter and the book, which only made the oncoming release to be that of the biggest event that had come his way in a long time. Glancing over towards his editor's office, Tyler quickly spotted Mr. Hannigan standing outside of his office door waving for him to come over. Anxiously getting up from his seat, Tyler made his way through the row of cubicals before he made his way into his Mr. Hannigan's office. Taking a seat in front of Mr. Hannigan's desk, Tyler looked on his desk to see a copy of Insider sitting on top.

"Is that what I think?" Tyler asked as he looked back at Mr. Hannigan close the door behind him

"That it is" Mr. Hannigan replied "We rushed the order, and with Carter Baizen surfacing as the possible author with no clear objection to the book, we've decided to strike while things are hot" he smiled happily as he took his seat

"Are you sure? I mean don't we have to go through the usual steps. What about the promoting phase?" Tyler asked "What if it flops?" he asked

"This bad boy was the buzz in the convention overseas, and now that we have the rights to it…we'll be put on the map as the number one news source and literary geniuses" Mr. Hannigan smiled "And we have you to thank for it" he said

"Oh, I really don't think I can take credit for this" Tyler shrugged nervously

"Yes, you should. Tyler, you've become my new hot shot reporter that I'm about to raise to full time" Mr. Hannigan said as he slid a contract across the table for Tyler to see

"Full time? I thought I had to wait at least a year?" Tyler asked as he looked on at the contract

"We usually recommend that but you've presented great work and we want to keep you hear at Manhattan Daily" Mr. Hannigan said "So what do you say?" he asked

"I'm not sure how I should look at this, I mean this is unexpected" Tyler laughed to himself

"Just sign on the dotted line and we'll be good" Mr. Hannigan told him as he leaned back in his chair

"Can I have some time to think about this? I'm used to being in that freelance writer mindset and I just want to make sure this is right" Tyler said

"Okay, I had a feeling you'd think that way so I took the liberty of giving you a story that will possibly launch your career on a path that you've never expected" Mr. Hannigan said as he grabbed another file off his desk to throw in front of Tyler "The election party at The Plaza is tomorrow night" he mentioned

"Yes, I heard all the big political families are coming in for this" Tyler said

"One in particular is the big front runner, The Archibald's. Their campaign has pulled almost sixteen million in support and that's just from the corporate offices" Mr. Hannigan said

"Sounds like a typical political party to me" Tyler shrugged "I mean Tripp Archibald is locked for the senator seat" he said

"Yes, that would be true but the family has presented a squeaky clean image that I don't believe will hold up in the thick of things" Mr. Hannigan said "I have an inside source that one of the family members has a past that ties in to the black market of scandal" he said

"Black market scandal?….you mean under the table deals or something?" Tyler asked

"That's exactly what I mean" Mr. Hannigan said "The polls show that the family is favorites because of the values they possess, but if the readers learn that they aren't who they appear to be…" he said

"Then they'll lose votes" Tyler concluded "I'm curious, do they have the church vote?" he asked

"That'll be amongst their biggest vote to gain, but since the family is in good with the head of Catholic Union then I'm almost sure they'll get it" Mr. Hannigan said

"You'd think Christians would have the majority on the church vote" Tyler replied

"It's split both ways, but with teens being so wild and reckless, church isn't that big but a place to pray that God forgives you for the night before" Mr. Hannigan said

"So this election party will probably be a form for them to get that vote then" Tyler stated

"If you can find out which Archibald is leading a double life in time for the big Convention coming up two months from now then you'll be on your way to a CNN type of path" Mr. Hannigan said as Tyler looked on at the file of Archibald's that he had at his disposal to go through.

* * *

Looking around her old room, Blair walked in further towards her desk as she traced the outline of her desktop. Thought of her childhood dreams of owning or running her own fashion company that would travel abroad at the drop of the dime flooded her head as all she could do was smile. She was young but Blair knew that even then her biggest dream was to be a fashion icon in some way shape or form. Hearing Dorota clear her throat, Blair was torn out of her reverie before she turned to look over at her trustee maid. Smiling from ear to ear, Dorota beamed at the sight of Blair as her absence from the house had been something she wasn't quite used to yet. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Dorota patted the space beside her as Blair obliged her wishes to join her. Blair knew that Dorota was always the sentimental person but probably even more now that she had a child of her own, but Blair still felt like a part of Dorota still viewed Blair as a child of her own as well that she knew how to read quite well.

"What ails you Ms. Blair?" Dorota asked

"Nothing, I'm good" Blair smiled "I just thought I'd come by to see if mother was in from work" she said

"She returns late this evening. She was on a full head of steam that it even scared Mr. Cyrus away" Dorota laughed

"Cyrus has yet to see all her sides. I bet he wishes he could've seen that side before saying I do" Blair laughed

"I'm sure he'd love that side as well" Dorota said "How are things with Mr. Humphrey?" she asked

"Okay" Blair said as her smile slowly faded from her face "Things are taking a few more twists than I expected" she sighed

"How so?" Dorota asked

"Last night…he proposed to me" Blair reluctantly told her as Dorota wore a shocked face "I know, I had the same expression. It was just all so unexpected" she sighed

"What did you tell him?" Dorota asked

"I didn't exactly say anything. I just asked why and then got drunk so I'd avoid having to put together coherent thoughts" Blair said "I'm not proud of the willing drinking aspect but it was my only way of not hurting him" she said

"Getting drunk only doesn't avoid the situation, it just puts in on hold for another day" Dorota said

"Believe me, I get that but I figured if I keep getting up at five in the morning to sneak out of the house like today I can get the best batch of muffins from the bakery and catch up on current fashion trends in the matter of hours" Blair reasoned as Dorota just gave her a look "You should've seen his face, he seemed so sincere yet lost when asking me" she said

"Lost?" Dorota asked

"He was sort of hungover and then when he sobered up he had this little declaration. We were not of sound mind last night to make any decisions" Blair said

"Then how do you know he meant it?" Dorota asked

"I know Humphrey and he was in full Humphrey mode of sincerity. It was the same Humphrey sincerity that caused me to release my virginity sooner than I intended" Blair sighed "I just couldn't come up with words to tell him in that moment, and then his explanation as to why….it was the worst" she groaned

"I'm sure it was nerves" Dorota chimed in

"I get that, which makes it understandable and hard at the same time" Blair reasoned

"Do you know if you want to? You know, get married?" Dorota asked

"Again, that's something I don't know. I'm leaning heavily towards one side but then there is the other side that has a glimmer of hope because I know how we are when we're good" Blair said "Dorota, when we're good it's like the best feeling in the world. We're like two kids dating for the first time, where it's the can't wait to see you type of feeling" she told her

"And now? Are you two not in good place?" Dorota asked

"We're good, it's just life is starting to kick in. He has school then work, while I have work. My job is unpredictable and will only be more unpredictable with my need for greater things. I just don't want to make a hasty decision at this point in our lives" Blair said "We love each other, and I just want us to make the right choice" she said

"Ms. Blair, I'm sure once you and Mr. Humphrey sit down and talk, you'll both come to a good conclusion that will leave you both happy and back to that good place you both thrive in" Dorota said "He adores you and wants to make you happy, I trust that whatever decision he'll still feel all the same as he did before" she said

"I hope" Blair sighed as a silence came between them

"You know, I know this may sound a bit premature but I think of my own child's wedding day. I hope for it to be a fairy tale then I realize that above all else I want it to be her fairy tale and not something she's going through the motions with. Every girl should have her fairy tale and shouldn't settle for any thing else, so though it my wish to see you in your fairy tale, I know that at your own pace you will get your fairy tale" Dorota smiled

"Thank you" Blair smiled as she rested her head on Dorota's shoulder while Dorota beamed with happiness that she was able to help Blair through her problems "Do you think Vanya can get me another bottle of that Russian Vodka?" she asked in that little girl voice

"Sober mind is the best way to have this conversation Ms. Blair" Dorota laughed to herself as Blair sighed in frustration.

* * *

Tapping his foot nervously as he read over the paperwork, Dan sighed in frustration as couldn't help but laugh to himself in disbelief over the charges that were on the paper. Finally reaching his limit over what he was reading, Dan simply nodded in agreement before he tossed the paperwork on the desk. Leaning back in his chair, Dan clasped his hands together as he did his best to keep his cool. Unsure of how she should handle this, Eleanor finished up her reading before she began to think of ways to handle the situation at hand while the School President gathered the paperwork and shuffled it together to put back in to the file. Glancing over at Dan, Eleanor could see that he was frustrated as he massaged his forehead, which left her with little idea on what he wanted to do about the matter. Adjusting to a more comfortable position, Eleanor looked on at the School President before she pushed her glasses back against her face as she prepared to do business.

"I want to pay up front" Eleanor said

"No, we're not paying up front because these charges are ridiculous" Dan quickly added

"You've been late on your tuition each month Mr. Humphrey and being late gets you a thirty dollar charge each day that it's late" The School President said

"I talked to the finance manager and he approved my plan to pay on the twentieth because I told him that's when I get paid" Dan explained "So if I explained it to the finance manager then how is not recorded on record to show that I've made arrangements to take care of my tuition?" he asked

"We can't make those types of accommodations for you. We have to appease all the students as well as our own business as a school. The first of the month is when payment is due because two weeks later we have to process the money so that the school will be able to use that money to fund the programs" The School President said

"I'm sure we can do without the school circular system. I will pay this total and for now on I want to be notified when charges are being put to his account" Eleanor said

"This is none of your business" Dan replied

"It will have to be because you're looking at being relinquished from your enrollment at the school if you don't pay today" The School President said as Eleanor began to write in her checkbook

"Okay, it's taken care of" Eleanor said as she ripped the check out to put in front of The School President while Dan just shook his head in disbelief before he finally just got up and walked out of the office

"Thank you" The School President told her as she quickly gathered her things before she chased after Dan.

"I don't need you bailing me out!" Dan replied angrily as they headed out into the corridor "I had it under control" he said

"Yes, I saw that clearly in there while you just sat there looking all upset" Eleanor replied sarcastically

"I'm taking you off as my second contact. That was a mistake" Dan reasoned "I'm not your kid. I don't need you coming in to save me" he said

"Then tell me, what do you need? Because I've tried Dan. I made my mistake and I'm trying to appease for it but this attitude is unacceptable and I refuse to let you keep acting like this with me" Eleanor said

"What you have going on with Tyler is your business but I'm taking care of my responsibilities, so what I had charges racked up but I was going to pay. I take care of my responsibilities and I don't need you or Bart to come in and rescue me. I'm not some rich kid and I wish you'd guys stop acting like I'm privileged because I'm not….I'm a regular guy. I'm a guy that was about to get dropped from his university for being a regular guy that couldn't write a check every month like nothing, I have bills, I have to manage what I can and can not pay on the exact date" Dan told her

"You may not be a rich kid, but you have access to people who just want to help" Eleanor said

"And I never asked for that! My mother has forced me in to some awkward relationship with Bart Bass of all people!" Dan exclaimed "I don't like working for him, this is not my world but I make it work because it's the only option I have" he said

"Yes, it's the only option but people still care about you. We don't just throw money around to show that we have it, we want to help because we give a damn about your future" Eleanor said

"No, you give damn because you feel sorry for me. I'm not the illusion of Tyler anymore, I'm the actual realization of who you hired…some kid from Brooklyn who needs the money" Dan said

"My God, do you really think I see you like that?" Eleanor asked in disbelief

"I don't know what to believe with you? I mean I think that you care about me and that you genuinely want to help me…but then I see that I'm a spitting image of Tyler and I just wonder if my mom was right?…I was the kid that helped you get over the fact that you gave your son up. I was your redemption project…all the money, making me feel like I was a part of your family…" Dan began to say as tears welled up in his eyes "It was all an act, everything was an act. I was his replacement and it just makes me wonder did you like me for me or because I was your connection to him?" he questioned

"You're my family and I don't want you to ever question that" Eleanor told him as a tear drop fell from her face

"No, I'm not your family. I'm not anything to you because he's back. He may not want you in his life, but that's your son…not me. I love your daughter and I respect what we have together….but things will never be the same between us" Dan said

"Dan, you're not a replacement to me…you were never that!" Eleanor exclaimed as she felt frustrated that she couldn't reach him like she wanted to

"Don't…don't explain it because the more we talk about what you chose to hide, the more I realize that my own mother saw that you had agenda to ease your guilt and I thought she was crazy for it. I thought she was jealous because you were…you were a lie" Dan said

"No, I still care and I still want to be there for you" Eleanor replied

"That's good intentions, I just don't need it nor will I want it. Worry about your own kids" Dan said as he wiped the tears away before he turned to walk away.

* * *

Tossing his keys to the side, Dan sighed in frustration over the day he had and would hopefully seek solace in the comforts of the Chinese food that he had picked up after work. Walking in towards the kitchen, Dan looked on for any sign that Blair was home but only found that she was preparing to leave. Setting the food down on the table, Dan hesitantly began to take the food out to arrange it while Blair scurried around trying to find her paperwork that she had printed out earlier on. Watching her while he slowly began to eat his food, Dan wanted to say something but figured he'd tear her out of thought if he did so. Finally getting the last of what she needed, Blair turned around to see Dan sitting at the table eating Chinese food that had a spread set for two. They hadn't really talked since last night after his whole proposal, but from the look on his face, Blair could tell that he was eager to talk to her about something. Walking over to take a seat across from him at the able, Blair grabbed a carton and looked on at the orange chicken he had picked up for her that didn't have the onions like she always requested it not to have.

"Thank you" Blair said as she smiled over her orange chicken

"No onions, just like you always get it" Dan smiled weakly

"On the caller identification it showed that the NYU called, what was that about?" Blair asked as she began to eat

"Nothing, it was just a misunderstanding" Dan shrugged

"About what?" Blair asked

"Nothing really, it was handled" Dan replied "I'm sure they're screwing over some other kid as we speak" he laughed

"Are you on track to graduate? I mean I know you were talking about transferring to Columbia for their courses. Did you discuss that with the school?" Blair asked

"I'm not sure if I'll be taking that route this year. I might have to cut back on some classes to pick up some more responsibilities at work" Dan said

"Is Bart giving you a bigger work load?" Blair asked

"No, I just want to pull my weight and not expect a hand out" Dan told her "It'll only be for a semester then I'll get back on track" he added

"As long as the goal is to graduate then it sounds good Humphrey" Blair smiled

"Why are you so dressed up?" Dan asked

"I'm having dinner over at the Sparks house" Blair sighed

"As in Georgina's family?" Dan asked

"Yes, that family" Blair sighed "George Sparks is back in town and he wanted to see the four of us to catch up, he says he feels connected to Katie by seeing all of us" she said

"I can somewhat understand that" Dan replied with a bit of skepticism before he looked over her attire "But are heels necessary for Catholic priest?" he asked

"Oh, no. I'm going to cover a runway show for Bex. I asked Serena to tag along to make it more eventful, and along with Serena will come cameras of all sort" Blair stated "She's even bringing some guy named Sean, it's part of some rookie hazing that he has to look after her" she said

"I could've gone with you. I mean it's not thrilling, but I would've gone" Dan told her

"I know but this was last minute and I was sort of talking with Bex, and she came up with the idea" Blair told him

"Marketing at it's best" Dan concluded

"Something like that" Blair replied as a silence came between them "I know that you're expecting an answer soon, and I plan on giving you that" she said

"Take your time. I don't want to rush you" Dan smiled weakly

"I know but I don't want to keep you waiting" Blair said "That'd be unfair of me to ask of you" she said

"Maybe" Dan shrugged "I'd wait forever for us to get our lives together started" he smiled as Blair smiled back at him feeling the twinge of guilt that she had tried to suppress

"I shouldn't be long" Blair told him as she got up from her seat to go get her coat

"No problem" Dan said "I know that Serena and you will probably buy up the whole show, so I don't expect an early return" he laughed

"Probably so" Blair smiled "I'll see you" she said before she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek

* * *

Laying back, Jenny and Chuck gasped for air as they had just endured another round of sex. It had been a cold front for Chuck as he wanted to be supportive to Jenny and not pressure her into thinking that he wanted sex, but now that they had finally reached a breakthrough in their relationship, it was like he wanted it as badly as she did. Jenny seemed like a new person, who wasn't scared of living her life in fear of the overall thought of what it would do to her psyche. Their first time together, Chuck was gentle and sweet as he spent most of the time making sure that she was okay above everything else. Turning to look at each other, Jenny laughed as she couldn't help but find Chuck's messied up hair to be the cutest sight that she had ever seen. Leaning over to kiss to pull her in to a kiss, Chuck smiled against her lips as he began to kiss her while she attempted to dodge them.

"Stop!" Jenny laughed as she tried to run away from his embrace

"One more. Just one more" Chuck laughed as he hopped up from his spot on the floor to chase after her nakedly while she wrapped the blanket around her body

"We can't just lay around having sex all day. We have lives to get back to, I have homework" Jenny asked with a bit of laugh as she backed into the living room

"I can do your homework" Chuck said as he pulled her towards him

"You didn't even do your own homework in high school" Jenny teased before a knock came to their door "And now we have company…you better put clothes on" she said

"Why? I'm good like this" Chuck laughed

"Naked. You really wanted to answer the door in all your glory? What if it's my dad?" Jenny asked

"It's all in the same sweetheart, size is the only difference" Chuck said as he began to kiss her neck

"Ew gross" Jenny said as she clenched her eyes "That was an image I did not need" she replied

"Chuck, c'mon. I know you're in there!" Nate called out

"That's Nate" Jenny told him

"Crap, I completely forgot" Chuck groaned as he walked over towards the bedroom to grab his pants while Jenny trailed behind as she headed towards the bathroom "Where are you going?" he asked as he put his shirt on

"To take a shower" Jenny replied

"I still wanted you naked…" Chuck began to say before Jenny pushed him out of the bedroom

"Chuck!" Nate called out once more before Chuck finally opened up the door as Nate wasted no time in entering

"By all means, come right in" Chuck sarcastically stated "Why are you so uptight?" he asked

"My grandfather and Tripp, are those reason enough?" Nate asked

"Tripp has always managed to make you sweat but I thought you'd be calm and cool since tonight is the night to showcase the loving Archibalds" Chuck said as he walked over to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee

"Calm and cool is far from what I should be since my grandfather thought it'd be best if I talked to the press" Nate said

"Big deal, you do that indirectly through the family publicist" Chuck reasoned

"Indirectly is the operative word" Nate replied "I just need to know everyone will be on their best behavior tonight because I don't need to worry about anyone else. Blair and Serena all ready confirmed that they were coming so I have to prepare myself for any possible Gossip Girl posts to be thrown in my face. Tonight is about getting the church vote" he said

"Or the French tutor, I remember you wished she was thrown in your face" Chuck teased as Nate just gave him a look "Getting the church vote is something you have to work on if it goes the way that awkward dinner with Katie's grandfather went last night" he said

"If they ask about your occupation, I need you to not mention Victrola or Carter for that matter" Nate said quickly

"It's my business, why should I lie?" Chuck asked

"Because it's politics, everyone lies. We just want to lie sparingly and accordingly" Nate told him

* * *

Stacking the final set of papers on top of the rest, Blair began to clean up her work station as she didn't want to be the employee that left a mess in the copy room. Grabbing one of the notebooks that were assembled for the fashion week that was coming up, Blair looked on at the pages as she couldn't help but pretend like she was one of the staff members that would receive one of these. Designers, dresses, structure, call list, vendors. Blair was amazed with the list of people they had at their disposal on just a regular day. Walking down the hall, Bex glanced over into the copy room to see Blair looking on at the book and she couldn't help but smile at her young protégé. Leaning up against the doorway, Bex took a moment to take in how Blair was reacting to what she was reading before she finally was ready to reveal herself up.

"Busy?" Bex asked as Blair jumped with surprise

"No, I was just…I was looking to see if I had missed anything…" Blair began to reason

"It's okay. It's a lot to digest so I guess it's understandable to get caught up in the pages of things" Bex smiled "Do you want to join me for lunch?" she asked

"Sure" Blair replied as they began to walk back to Bex's office

"Sorry that it's a mess. I've been trying to prepare for a meeting in Milan and then pack on top of that…so it's not going all too good" Bex told her as she walked around to take her seat behind her desk "So what's up? I feel like since you've been working here that we haven't had the chance to really talk" she asked

"Probably because you're off doing more important things than I'm doing" Blair griped as Bex began to unpack her lunch.

"Didn't the runway show quench your thirst?" Bex asked with a bit of laughter

"It quenched and made me crave it" Blair replied "I can't believe you get to do this on a regular basis. You travel around the world at the drop of the dime, you work with the best designers, you get the latest before it's even out…I mean this is my dream job. You are my dream" she said as Bex just laughed

"I'm sure Eleanor has her perks" Bex said

"She does but she never cashes in, she's more concerned with her own work to bother to watch others. Fashion isn't about obsession, it's about concentration to the details…that's her quote by the way" Blair told her

"You should pay attention to her, your mother is a big name in this industry. Many try to take her spot in this industry day after day, and that by all means makes you successful…to be hated means you had to be loved at some point" Bex said

"Yeah well, I want in on all of this…I just have to manage better in some areas" Blair sighed as Bex took a few moments to read Blair's expressions.

"How is that? Having a relationship?" Bex asked as she leaned back in her chair

"It's good" Blair replied a bit confused as to why Bex was asking

"Do you love him?" Bex asked "I mean were you high school sweethearts?" she asked as she played with a candy wrapper

"Yes, I love Dan. I wouldn't say we were high school sweethearts from the beginning, but he's my first real love. We've gone through a lot together" Blair replied still a bit confused as to why Bex was asking such questions

"What? Like finally giving in to his constant begging to have sex?" Bex teased as she soon realized that Blair wasn't laughing along with her on the joke. Straightening up in her chair, Bex took a moment to access how she should go about talking to Blair "In this business, to be a career woman, you have to make choices. You come in with that real love relationship that makes you think you can move mountains, and then reality sets in" Bex told her as she sat up in her chair "Relationship will fade. The love will be there, but so will the thrill of jetting around the world at any given time" she said

"So what are you saying?" Blair asked

"I'm saying hold on to the real love for now because it probably won't be there two months from now….and that's just reality in this business. Welcome to the real world Blair" Bex said as she tried not to be too harsh with Blair.

"Dan and I support each other" Blair replied

"Of course you do, but along the way hours will get longer at work. You'll get the luxury of traveling. You'll talk with designers that are most likely trying to get in to your pants when all you want is to know when their line is coming out. You'll show up late for his events and as much as you explain, he won't understand. Love is a great idea and even the best dream for a girl like you in this early stages of her career, but along the way you have to make sacrifices. The moment you start to question or doubt if it'll work….that's when you know you're on the beginning of the end path" Bex told her

* * *

Closing the door behind her as she got out of the taxi, Blair looked on at the townhouse. Looking on at her watch, Blair sighed as she only had three hours to prepare for the election party that the Archibald's were throwing. In that short span, Blair made a mental note to remember the key points that Nate wanted her to talk about since she was the only one that was capable of speaking to the media. Tiredly making her way up the stairs, Blair let out a sigh as she could only hope that she would make it through the day. Opening the door, Blair made her way inside of the house as she put her coat purse down in the office. Coming out of the bedroom, Dan wore a smile from ear to ear as he seemed more excited than ever to see her.

"Good you're here" Dan said as he walked up towards her

"I had to stay behind to finish up some packets for a meeting" Blair told him as she began to look at him a bit skeptically "We've got three hours before we have to go to this party and then on top of that we have…." she began to say as Dan kneeled down on one knee. Becoming nervous by his actions, Blair began to fidget a bit "Dan what are you doing?" she asked

"I'm doing this the right way" Dan told her as he pulled out the ring from his pocket to show her "Will you Blair Waldorf marry me?" he asked as he held her hand. Looking on at him on bended knee, Blair felt the guilt seep in uncontrollably before she finally realized that now was the time they needed to talk.

"Dan, we need to talk" Blair said as she lead him over towards the sofa before they both took a seat.

"What's wrong?" Dan asked "Is it the ring? I know it's not Tiffany's…" he began to say

"It's not the ring. I'd love for it to be a ring problem, but it's not" Blair sighed "Dan, I think we need to really talk about this and I mean really talk about this" she said

"I thought we did" Dan said

"No, you just proposed and kind of thought I'd accept" Blair said as a silence came between them while Dan tried to figure out what was going on with her "I get where you're coming from, but I don't think you really thought about this" she said

"Okay, I never thought I'd get criticized for how I propose marriage but if you want it to be better than I'll do better" Dan laughed in disbelief

"It's not about the proposal or well it is….Dan, we can't get married!" Blair said as she got frustrated and finally just revealed what she was feeling

"Boy, don't hold back" Dan said as he took in her harshness

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry" Blair apologized "I just don't want us to rush in to something. If and when we decide to get married, I want us both to be good in our careers with stability" she said

"So is this being based off of jobs now?" Dan asked

"I'm in the beginning stages of my job and I don't want to make such a big commitment until we both are stable in our routine. I mean their might be times where I have to go out of town for work or you might have to" Blair said "If we're married then we'll feel guilty for not being able to carve out time for each other on a regular basis" she said

"And that's something we shouldn't do in our relationship?" Dan questioned

"I didn't mean it like that" Blair replied "Look, I love you. I'm committed to you and I don't want to lose you…so just trust me when I say that this no isn't because I don't want to be with you, it's because I want us to be sure about our future together" she said before they sat in silence for a few moments. Feeling as if she was sitting on a pin of needles while she waited for his response, Dan leaned forward to kiss the side of her cheek.

"Okay…I trust you on this" Dan whispered before Blair quickly pulled his face towards her so she could capture his lips with hers

"Thank you for understanding" Blair whispered once she broke the kiss as they sat in a tender silence for a moment "We should probably get ready to go" she said as she glanced over at the clock

"Yeah" Dan replied "You go ahead first, I just need to make sure what time the car is coming" he said

"Okay" Blair smiled before she kissed his forehead then got up to leave. Looking on her as she left, Dan looked down at his ring that he had once was so eager to give her with pure heartbreak. Getting up from his seat on the sofa, Dan walked over towards the kitchen and leaned up against the kitchen counter before he reached out to open up a drawer. Giving one final look at the ring, Dan dropped the ring in the drawer before slamming the drawer shut.

* * *

**Daydream**

**I fell asleep beneath the flowers**

**For a couple of hours**

**On a beautiful day**

It had been unlike any event that Dan had gone to as this event was more on the political side of things, but nonetheless; an event in the Upper Eastside was an event all together. The limo pulled up in front of the Plaza and immediately the door was opened up by one of the security guards before Dan got out. Reaching out to grab Blair's hand, Dan helped her out the car as they followed behind their assigned guard for the event. As they headed inside the hotel, Dan couldn't help but hear the screams for Blair as even though she wasn't part of the political sphere of things, she was still the daughter of Eleanor Waldorf and that was enough of an accomplishment as is. Very knowledgeable on the candidates going out for senator, Blair got the okay to stop to talk with a reporter as Dan attempted to stand back but was quickly ushered inside. All he could do was watch the interview on the monitors that were set up in the lobby of the hotel. Blair charmed and dazzled in her answers, making it clear that she just wasn't a pretty face but a strong woman with opinions.

**Daydream**

**I dream of you amid the flowers**

**For a couple of hours**

**Such a beautiful day**

Craving for a nice stiff drink, Carter tapped his finger nervously as he couldn't bare yet another speech. Typically Carter would avoid events like this but since his parents were big on the political front with a backing of Tripp Archibald, Carter had to play the dutiful trust fund kid and stand with his parents. Though he was a self made entrepreneur, Carter didn't quite feel the luxury of sharing that fact since most of his money was either from gambling or money that his parents had signed over to him that he'd gain access to at the age of twenty one. Scanning the crowd, Carter shared an awkward eye contact with Dan before Tyler suddenly emerged in the back round. Getting up from his seat as politely as possible, Carter signaled for Tyler to meet him.

**As I spy from behind my giant robot's eyes**

**I keep 'em happy cause I might fall out if he cries**

**Scared of heights, so I might pass out if he flies**

**Keep 'em on autopilot cause I can't drive**

**Room enough for one, I tell my homies they can't ride**

**Unless they sittin' on the shoulders but that's way too high**

**Let's try, not to step on the children,**

**The news camera's filmin', this walkin', project building**

**Now there's hoes selling hoes, like right around the toes**

Sweating under the pressure of sitting along with George Sparks, Chuck couldn't help but want to be anywhere but here. It had been some time but Chuck was well aware that George had no liking of him because he was amongst the reason why Katie got off of her path but there wasn't anything that Chuck wouldn't have given to just get up and run out of the room. Noticing his nervousness, Jenny rested her hand on top of his as she smiled on and clapped for the next speaker. George, noticing the gesture, looked over at Chuck as the two just looked at each other and for a moment Chuck could've sworn that he saw some bit of approval from George on his right choices that he was making in his life.

**And the crack heads beg, at about the lower leg**

**There's crooked police, that's stationed at the knees**

**And they do drive-bys like up and down the thighs**

**And there's car chase, going on at the waist**

**Keep a vest on my chest**

**I'm sitting in my room, as I'm looking out the face**

**Somethin' to write about**

**I still got some damage from fightin' the White House**

**Just a..**

For the most part, Nate felt in control as he handled the questions from the media. In this portion of the event, Nate was the assigned family member that represented Tripp as he was asked to discuss the aspects of the Archibald family that enabled Tripp to be the kind of senator that would be good for New York. Though he was always teased about this by Blair, Nate decided to hone in on his ability to flirt with his smile and eyes as the females were definitely becoming putty in his hands. Reporters for the most part asked tame questions that he was able to handle and answer successfully, which made his cousin even more pleased with his choice of choosing Nate to represent the family. Emerging from the crowd, Tyler rose his hand and being a good sport, thinking that Blair had arranged for Tyler to ask him a question, Nate called on Tyler.

"Yes" Nate acknowledged him

"What are your cousins views on crime in New York?" Tyler asked

"I can say that his views on crime are that of something that involves a stronger connection with our task forces and building better relations within our communities. We all want to feel safe and know we're protected, so I think my cousin is ready to make sure we all get that feeling we once had by proposing community incentives to lessen crime" Nate said

"What are your views on the subject?" Tyler asked

"I believe that crime has a source. Figure the source and address it then results should happen" Nate replied

"Fair enough, but even said crimes such as prostitution?….what are your views on that?" Tyler asked as Nate looked at Tyler a bit confused but didn't want to convey that too much with the camera lenses on him

"It may just be my lack of knowledge, but I've never known New York to be that heavy on the prostitution side. Now, I can agree that's an issue that should be address due to the messages it sends but along with the many issues he will face, it will be something that he has to find the source of the problem and address to get results" Nate replied

"I'll just get to the chase…what connections does your family have to prostitution in the black market? Reports have been surfacing of prostitution that stem around a well to do political family, so all in all, what would you say to those reports?" Tyler asked as he honed in on Nate to get the real confirmation he needed while Blair and Serena quickly looked at each other in confusion

"What the hell is he doing?" Blair whispered to Eleanor as she leaned towards her mother

"That will be enough questions for the night. We will move on to closing speeches" The announcer said as whispers began to ring clearly within the room. Making his way through the crowd, Tyler finished up the last of his notes before he bumped into Eleanor. Looking on at his mother, Tyler couldn't help but notice a horrified yet embarrassed look on her face that only registered how different the two were in his mind.

"I'm doing my job" Tyler stated as he began to walk away before his phone began to ring. Grabbing his phone out of his pocket, Tyler looked on his phone to see that it was Mr. Hannigan calling him. "Yes, hello" he answered

"Look around, you've got a front row seat for the madness" Mr. Hannigan laughed happily

"To what?" Tyler asked as he tried to focus in on listening to what Mr. Hannigan was saying as he looked around at the crowd of people that were caught in the previous distraction, unaware of another distraction that was about to hit.

**DaydreamI fell asleep beneath the flowers**

**For a couple of hours**

**On a beautiful day**

From Tyler's display of reporting, Dan could only hear about his actions from the occasional conversation that he heard while people past by. Stepping outside to catch some air, Dan dove his hands into his pockets as he just looked on at the New York night life. Taking in the reporters that were eager to get glimpses of the elite families that gathered together on top of the few celebrities that came, it was a mad house at this event. Never in a million years did he think he'd go to an event like this, let alone want to be at this type of event. His eyes shifted over towards the mother walking with her kids as she held a grocery bag in hand, and all Dan could do was feel the guilt. He felt the guilt because they were leading the lives they were given while he was leading the life he wanted to portray as his. Just as he got caught up in over analyzing the little family, Blair's groan of frustration tore him away.

"Hey, what are you doing out here by yourself?" Blair asked

"I needed air" Dan replied as a silence came between them

"Are we okay? I mean I know that earlier wasn't the right time, but we're fine, right?" Blair asked

"Yeah, we're good" Dan smiled weakly "I've thought about it and you were right, it's not our time" he said

"But it will be or I hope it will be" Blair smiled "We've just got so much going on, I mean you've got school and work while I'm working…our lives on beginning and we've got the world at our feet" she told him

"I like how you make that sound" Dan told her

"We're going to be fine" Blair told him as she grabbed his hand and looked him dead in the eyes "I love you" she told him

"Same here" Dan forced a smile as it took every bit of courage he had to look her in the eye. The clock quickly struck twelve and like a domino effect, it all began to fall into place. Cell phones went off. Billboards began to switch with advertisement for the next day. Looking up at the billboard, Dan looked on in horror while Blair pulled her phone out to see that the manuscript she had been looking for had come to life in the form of an actual book.

**Gossip Girl: It's an early morning for my Upper Eastsiders as you know good gossip never sleeps. Looks like our favorite people to hate will become our new topic of conversation because now the dirty little secrets are out and we only have 'Insider' to thank. You want the scoop, it will only cost a decent price of thirty five dollars to get this hot off the press book that sure to raise some eyebrows especially since it's author is homebred. A bomb this big couldn't wait until regular hours to explode, but nothing smells of a scandal than a midnight detonation. Time to check for causalities.**

**XOXO,**

**Gossip Girl.**

**Daydream**

**I dream of you amid the flowers**

**For a couple of hours**

**Such a beautiful day**

"That son of a bitch" Dan muttered to himself as he read Carter's name which was linked to Insider as the author on the billboard before him. While Dan honed in on his now proclaimed nemesis, Blair looked up from her phone to see her nemesis that had emerged out from the building to reveal himself as she knew that his true intentions had just been revealed in a form of a book. Her mission had become clear, she had to finally take on her brother and find out his agenda on being in the Upper Eastside.

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in the Chapter**

**Lupe Fiasco- Daydream**

**Author's Note: Poor Dan. So Blair ultimately decided that marriage was not the avenue to go down for her. I don't want you guys to take sides in this because I do think they both have valid points or are coming to a point in their lives where they're trying to figure themselves out individually. I think most people will agree that relationships do go through that and I wanted them to have realistic problems and have realistic reactions to them.**

**Insider will be explored in the next two or three chapters. It will be different from Insider on the show, but it will be something that will finally expose Dan's thoughts. It will put it all out there and begin to help wipe the slate clean on things that need to be addressed.**


	9. They Shoot Waldorf's, Don't They?

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews, I greatly appreciate your feedback. I think I've stated it before but if I get ten reviews in one day, I'm almost certain to update sooner than I originally anticipated. So if you want more, you know how to get me. Lol. **

**I think I fell in love with chapter because it was Blair getting back to what she used to be, which was The Queen Bee in full bitch mode. In this chapter you'll get a take on sibling rivalry the extreme edition. So I hope you enjoy and I look forward to your feedback.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Eight- They Shoot Waldorf's, Don't They?**

* * *

When Insider hit, it exploded like the bomb that it was expected to be. Everyone in the vicinity took to trying to get their hands on this book by either ordering online or going to the local bookstores. Not phased with the reactions of those around her, Blair's main goal was to figure out just what was going on so that she could come up with her own plan of attack. Initially they both had their own immediate suspicions as to who was behind Inside but were hesitant to share with the other in fear of being wrong. Dan made up some excuse to Blair to go back to the house while Blair seemed to welcome his need to leave as she had her own agenda to tend to. Hailing a taxi, Dan wasted no time in trying to find out as much information as possible about the release of the book while Blair took to her phone to try to locate all of her friends. Heading back inside the hotel, Blair was immediately greeted in the lobby by all her friends.

"What the hell was that?" Serena asked

"I don't know but this is the supposed book I was telling you about" Blair said

"You knew about this?" Chuck asked "Don't you think this is news that you should've told us about?" he asked

"How do you know it's even about you guys?" Jenny questioned "What if it's about…." she began to suggest

"Carter wrote the book. It's about us" Nate replied

"Why would he do this?" Serena asked

"Newsflash, he's got a gambling problem. He probably wrote this for a quick buck" Nate sighed in frustration as he began to pace the floor

"Is the part where I can go home?…I have a practice early in the morning and this seems to be a inner circle crisis going on" Sean said as he rose his hand to get the confused looks of everyone. By the looks on their faces, Sean could quickly detect that he was something different that they hadn't seen a lot of in the Upper Eastside "And judging by the looks on your faces, I can tell you've now gone in to color shock. Yes, I'm black" he told them as he accessed their facial expressions "Are we good here? Promise to put in the good word with the boyfriend" he asked Serena

"Yeah, it's fine" Serena told him "Thank you again for coming with me tonight" she said as she leaned in to hug him

"Nice semi meeting you guys" Sean said before he walked off

"I'll talk to Carter, see if I can get any bit of a retraction on the book" Chuck said

"Forget a retraction! I want the book pulled" Nate replied angrily

"We don't even know what's in the book. He could've wrote about his parents and their clients, his dad works with most of the big shots in the Upper Eastside" Serena reasoned

"So he's going to write a book on people he doesn't even know that well? He wrote about us, we're his age group and he's hung around us through association with Dan" Nate replied

"How can you really be sure about this?" Jenny asked "I mean what about letting Chuck talk to him and seeing what his motives were" she said

"That's not necessary" Blair replied as she began to massage her head

"Thank you, someone who agrees that we're past talking" Nate exclaimed

"Not because of that but because we'll be after the wrong person. Carter didn't write this book" Blair said

"And you know this how?" Serena asked

"Because it's Carter Baizen, he wouldn't write something like this due to coherent thought. He's smart number wise but in the form of words he far from average much less mediocre" Blair said as his her mind went into deep thought

"I think in the politest of ways, you've just said that Carter was too stupid to write this book" Jenny concluded of Blair's statement

"Then who wrote this?" Nate questioned

"Simple…my newly found brother" Blair replied as they all looked at Blair quizzically

"B, that's a big accusation" Serena told her "I mean yes he went in kind of hard on Nate tonight, but what reason would he have to talk about us or anyone else in the Upper Eastside" she said

"I can think of a few good reasons. Parents give him up to get rich and luxurious lifestyles with no intention of finding him, he pops up out of nowhere, and let's not forget the fact that he knew about the whole Georgina ordeal. He did his homework on us and due to this family tie, we've done little homework on him" Blair said

"It makes sense" Nate added "Tonight was a basic accusation attack. He was probably adding to his collection of stories he has on us" he said

"You need proof beyond that, you're going off of pure feelings" Jenny reasoned

"Pure feeling is all I need Jenny. I don't need to read a book to know that it conveniently matches up to his appearance and his lack of interest in being a Waldorf. You don't track your birth parents down without wanting to insert some part of yourself in their present lives" Blair reasoned

"So what's your plan?" Serena asked

"I don't want to come down too hard on my dear old brother, but I do feel as if we need to have a little discussion. Talk about the do's and the don'ts of this world. Do wear in season designer wear, don't write tell alls" Blair told them

* * *

Nearly trashing the bedroom and the office, Dan searched high and low in the house in an attempt to find the missing USB. Dan wanted to believe that his eyes were playing tricks on him, that he just wanted to blame Carter because it was fitting to do so at this point since Carter had betrayed him all ready. Dan wanted to find some shrivel of evidence that proved that Carter wouldn't completely screw him over all together, but the more he searched for the USB the longer it took for him to justify why he was even trying to give Carter an excuse out of this. Like clear day, Dan saw with his own eyes that Carter had attached his name to a book that Dan wrote. Dan remembered long nights of drunken thoughts due to his crappy circumstances over the summer, but Dan wanted nothing more to forget that he wrote such slanderous words but he couldn't because he'd only be lying to himself if he did. Coming out of the bedroom, Dan breathed heavily as if he were trying to gasp for some bit of oxygen while he took his phone out to dial a familiar number.

"Somehow I knew you'd call tonight" Carter answered the phone

"Tell me this is all a joke. Tell me this is just some joke that I'm making up in my mind because I just love being angry at this point in time" Dan requested of his friend

"I'm afraid this is reality" Carter sighed "I tried telling you, but I'm an author now. I'm the writer…" he began to say

"You didn't write the fucking book!" Dan yelled as he punched the wall in a burst of anger

"Clearly with that anger, you wouldn't have been able to write a coherent book that looks at people objectively" Carter said in a calm voice

"Oh, save the crap Carter! You barely passed English in high school, do you really expect people to believe that you wrote this?" Dan asked

"I don't care what people believe because I know that I wrote my true experiences of these people" Carter said "I know it's hard to believe but I've turned an honest profit on this" he added

"Honest and you don't go together at all" Dan quickly replied as he laughed in disbelief "You stole the USB and then you got money off of what I wrote for what? For your little gambling problem" he declared

"Believe what you want to believe" Carter said

"I believe it because I know the truth…" Dan began to say

"Then by all means, claim the book!" Carter yelled "Go against my word and take credit for a book that speaks ill of everyone we know, which includes your girlfriend….go ahead, do it" he said

"This was all a game, this was you trying to get in good with me so you when the book dropped you'd be able to have a clear conscience over what you did. Well I got news, I'm not going to back down from this!" Dan yelled

"Frankly Dan, I don't give a damn what you do at this point" Carter said as a momentary silence came between them "Now if you excuse me, I'm booking Nightline on the other line. They're eager to hear my side of things" he said before he ended the call.

"Carter!" Dan yelled after a few paces of trying to calm down. As much as he was upset, Dan knew that he couldn't claim the book due to the backlash it was going to cause with not just those that he knew on a personal level but what it would do to his relationship with Blair. Running his hand through his hair, Dan felt a panic come over him as he couldn't believe how quickly things were spinning out of his contorl. Dan had always feared that if he didn't go looking for the very USB that contained some of his most critical thoughts than he'd be forced to bite his tongue in a bit of shame. Pacing the floor, Dan was quickly torn out of his erratic behavior by the sound of Blair tossing her keys on to the table.

"Hey" Blair said as she looked over at Dan to see that he was a complete mess "What's wrong?" she asked with concern

"Nothing, I was just getting worried about you" Dan told her

"I'm fine. I just had to talk to Nate" Blair told him "Are you sure you're okay because you look all pale and constipated…have you been forgetting to check the dates on the milk cartons again?" she asked

"No" Dan quickly replied "I just got worried because a lot of people have been talking about this book and all…" he began to say as Blair nodded in understanding

"You're upset about Carter" Blair concluded as she walked towards him to where they were a mere inch away "You're afraid that he may have written horrible things about me and you, but you don't need to worry" she told him

"I think I should" Dan said with a bit of desperation in his voice

"You don't have to because I promise you…I will find out who's behind this and they will pay for this mockery…no one hurts the people that I love and gets away with it" Blair said as she caressed his cheek while all he could was feel the coldness in her voice that let him know that her mind was made up to search and destroy.

* * *

Halfway back to his apartment, Sean groaned in frustration as he realized that he had forgotten to give Serena her keys to her penthouse. Sean wanted to believe that the security team would know her well enough to let her in, but Sean didn't want to take that chance especially with it being rookie hazing on the line of all things. Getting out of the taxi in a hurry, Sean knocked on the glass door for the security guard to open up. With a few moments of hesitation, Sean was able to convince the guard to let him in as he proved to be no threat whatsoever. Getting no clear confirmation if Serena had made it back or not, Sean felt it'd be best if he would go up to check her apartment to see so for himself. Taking the elevator up to the penthouse floor, Sean whistled to himself to keep himself entertained before he stepped off the elevator to make his way towards the barely closed door. All ready feeling as if this was bad for her to have the door barely closed, Sean was prepared to close it and wait before he heard voices from within that sounded familiar.

"Why would you do this to me!" Jason yelled

"It was taken out of context" Serena replied "Reporters do that stuff all the time" she said

"A picture is worth a thousand words and this clearly shows my girlfriend acting like some whore" Jason replied angrily as Sean couldn't help but feel like he had walked up on a moment that he didn't need to hear. Just as Sean prepared to leave, the door opened up to show Jason on the other side. "Sean, what are you doing here?" he asked a bit surprised

"Oh, I just came right now as in just took the elevator and stepped off. Just a second of standing here" Sean replied nervously

"Okay, why are you here?" Jason asked as he looked at him strangely

"I had Serena's key. I left early and I forgot that she had her key" Sean said as he held the key up to show as his evidence

"Did you forget something?" Jason turned to ask Serena who stood in the back round before she finally walked up towards the two

"Sorry about that" Sean said as he handed the key to her

"It's okay, she's a bit clumsy these days" Jason said as he looked on at Serena

"No, it's my fault. It won't happen again" Sean said deflecting any type of blame from being put on Serena "Goodnight" he told them both as he attempted to leave

"Hey, Sean!" Jason called out before Sean cursed himself for not running towards the elevator so that he could escape

"Yeah" Sean said as he quickly turned around to face Jason

"Tonight was hectic tonight with the whole election party, and I really hate that I was unable to go due to commercials and all for the team. I appreciated that you stepped in and looked after her" Jason told him

"It was no problem. I'm a rookie that doesn't talk back" Sean replies "And that sounds bad from a slavery point of view" he said to himself as he had a moment of thought to access what he had just said

"Do you think that you can hang out with her some more this week?" Jason asked as Serena looked at Sean with a bit of surprise

"Jason really?" Serena questioned her boyfriend

"I'd feel better knowing that another round of pictures won't pop up on her like they did tonight. I mean I'd hate for misconceptions to keep continuing" Jason replied as he looked on at Serena

"I don't think she needs a bodyguard, plus cameras follow her all the time" Sean said

"All the more reason why I trust you" Jason told him "Do this for me, I'll make it worth your while" he told him as Sean couldn't find any other reason to protest even though he wanted so badly to have a reason

"Okay" Sean reluctantly agreed

"I'm sure she'll have some sort of little thing to get to, but she'll get your number and you two can just hang out" Jason said as Serena just glared at him "That'll be all, I just needed to get that cleared up" he said as Sean slowly began to back away

"Again, goodnight" Sean replied before Jason closed the door on him quickly "Just get off the bench, that's all you need to do Sean. Kiss his ass to get off the bench and get some minutes" he told himself as he waited for the elevator

* * *

Dan's eyes fluttered open as the sunlight began to peek through the opened curtains in the bedroom. Rolling over on to his side, Dan felt that she was sitting up in the bed with papers in her hand. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Dan wanted to believe that he was just daydreaming that she wasn't actually working in bed but his eyes had deceived. Wanting to believe that it was work, Dan couldn't just willingly go back to sleep as he feared that her work may have included her buying the book and getting up early for her to read. Quickly sitting up in the bed, Dan looked over at her laptop to see that it was indeed work and though he didn't exactly love that work was now moving towards the bedroom, he was glad to see that than seeing the words of criticism he had written.

"Good morning" Blair smiled as she leaned over to kiss him

"What are you doing?" Dan asked

"I was just reading up on the floor plans for this runway show we're hosting next weekend. I figured that if I can learn the ins and outs of it then I might be able to get staffed on it" Blair told him

"Sounds like a logical plan" Dan sighed "Do you want breakfast?" he asked

"No, I'm not hungry" Blair quickly replied "I mean look at this, this floor plan is simple…too simple to be exact. The models should be encompassed with architecture to give more life to the show and the designs" she said

"I thought you worked for a magazine?" Dan questioned

"I do, but we branch off of W so we sometimes handle their business and clients. We get exclusives at these shows, it's all so amazing….we should go to this together" Blair told him

"I picked up extra hours starting on Monday" Dan told her "I want some pancakes, I'm not in a waffle mode" he said as he rubbed his stomach

"I should make a mental note" Blair said as she turned to look at Dan

"Pancakes over waffles?" Dan asked

"No, to suggest to put a few architectural pieces in the open spaces. We could even commission an a local artist or something" Blair smiled

"Your right, waffles sound better" Dan said as he kicked the covers back on the bed before he sat on the side of the bed just as he heard the sounds of the vacuum going off in the living "What is that?" he asked

"I believe it's a vacuum Humphrey" Blair replied

"Who's vacuuming?" Dan asked

"Dorota" Blair replied "Humphrey, we need the place to be spotless if we're planning on throwing a house warming party" she said

"When were we planning that?" Dan asked

"Today, when I called Dorota to call in orders for a house warming party for tomorrow night….Humphrey we need to christen this place" Blair exclaimed

"We have, it's some of my best work but we've christened this place" Dan told her "You can't just call Dorota over to do something that we should be doing" he said

"You were asleep and Dorota was bored so I just entertained her" Blair reasoned

"That's not entertaining. If you wanted this party then you should've cleaned for it and then tell me about it" Dan said "I don't exactly have the funds to host a party because of recent purchases" he said

"Purchases like what?" Blair asked as he just looked at her hoping that she would understand the recent purchase was the ring that he bought for his turned down proposal. "Oh….well, I can pay for it" she said coming to the realization of what he meant

"I don't want you paying for it all. I don't want the party until we both can agree to it" Dan said

"It's kind of late to agree to that when I've sent out e-mail invites" Blair said

"Waldorf!" Dan exclaimed

"Sorry, I got excited and acted. I will make this up to you, but you should pick the food out" Blair said as she quickly got up from the bed and made her way towards her closet

"Where are you going?" Dan asked

"I need to personally invite my brother, you know, extend an olive branch" Blair smiled as she began to go through her clothes

"So breakfast is just completely out of the running?" Dan questioned

"Humphrey, who can think about eating in a time like this?" Blair questioned him before she made her way inside of the bathroom with her clothes in hand.

"It's only the thing I've been talking about for the past few minutes" Dan groaned as he rubbed his eyes before he kicked his feet in the bed.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator, Blair looked on her blackberry at the bit of information that was sent her way by Kati and Is. Though she didn't have the level of contacts that Bex had, Blair was satisfied with her high school connection for the time being but knew she'd still need to upgrade sooner or later. Like clockwork as she expected, Tyler had come down the staircase from his mock of an interview with Eleanor. It had been his feeble attempt to get to know Eleanor, but Blair only saw it as his weak attempt on making the least effort as possible to get to know Eleanor. Smiling at her brother as she took her seat, Blair played the role quite nicely as she set her purse to the side of her while Eleanor came down the staircase. Reluctant to stand and wait, Tyler was eager to go on with the rest of his day as he had pressing issues to tend to in regards to the latest Archibald family scandal that was linked to them.

"Blair, so happy you could join" Eleanor smiled at her daughter "Where is Daniel?" she asked

"He's at home" Blair replied "I just came by to get personal confirmation on the housewarming party for tomorrow night" she said

"On such quick notice?" Eleanor questioned

"No time like the present to show off the new place" Blair smiled "So can I cound on you to be there?" she asked

"Yes, I will have Dorota pick up something today" Eleanor said as she began to jot down the newly added plans to her Blackberry

"No worries, I have Dorota all ready picking up your gift" Blair laughed before she turned her attention towards Tyler "What about you, can we expect you to be there?" she asked

"Not sure I can make that. I have to work on a story" Tyler quickly replied

"Oh, I'm sure the news can sleep for a night" Blair quickly replied "C'mon I feel like we haven't had the time to get to know each other" she smiled

"We both have busy lives" Tyler stated

"Not currently….let's do lunch on the terrace. Rico makes tea cake sandwiches that are to die for" Blair told him

"That sounds good, you two should do lunch" Eleanor beamed with happiness

"I really can't, I have to get back to the office" Tyler said

"I took care of that, I called the office and told them that you'd be covering a Blair Waldorf housewarming story" Blair told him

"A housewarming party? I hardly think that's newsworthy and you don't even know what newspaper I work for, I freelance" Tyler questioned

"Put the spin of a Waldorf on any story with added Van der Woodsen, Bass, and Archibald….you're bound to make some sort of headline at least with the teen crowd" Blair said "And I do find Mr. Hannigan to be the sweetest at Manhattan Daily" she smiled as she wanted it to be known to her brother that she did her homework, if not got a glimpse into his life "So stay, let's discuss" she told him

"Yes, he will stay" Eleanor answered for him "Get to know each other and stop running from each other" she said as Tyler sarcastically smiled before Eleanor kissed the side of Blair's cheek before giving Tyler a quick hug then went towards the elevator to board for an afternoon movie.

"Okay, so you got me. What do you want to discuss?" Tyler asked as he tossed his coat on the sofa before taking a seat

"Let's start with an appetizer first, read any good books lately?" Blair asked as she turned to look at him "I don't know, maybe even write any such as Insider?" she questioned him

"Wait, what?" Tyler asked

"Give it up, I know you're behind the book. Our mother may be to blind to see that you're a snake in the making, but I know that you have an agenda" Blair told him

"Are you always this blunt?" Tyler questioned

"I don't like to waste air….so just tell me, what are you after? Are you trying to get revenge on our parents for what they did to you or are you trying to get access to life insurance policy by killing them softly with embarrassment?…what is your deal?" Blair questioned

"I have agenda, and the only connection I have to Insider is through the newspaper because of publishing" Tyler said "Your real problem should be with Carter Baizen, he wrote the book" he said

"Please, I'm not stupid. Carter's form of writing only uses three letters, and LOL is not the best of sentences. You probably caught on to the fact that Dan and Carter had a rift between them, capitalized by exploiting that fact and got what you wanted…exposing the Upper Eastside" Blair said

"I stand to gain nothing!" Tyler exclaimed "I don't even know why I'm even entertaining this?" he then questioned as he rose from his seat

"Stop the book" Blair quickly told him

"I don't have that power" Tyler said

"I think you do, you know if you try hard enough" Blair told him

"In your delusional mind I do, but in reality I don't" Tyler laughed

"One by one, I will figure you out and one by one I will expose the skeletons in your closet. Our mother deserves to know who you really are and unless you plan to verbally give your tell all, I think it's about time you get some attention" Blair said

"You're signing yourself up for a game you won't win Blair" Tyler sighed before Blair reached in to her purse to grab an envelope out of it before she handed it to him "What is this?" he asked

"I encouraged my deeply distraught friend, Nate Archibald and his family, to take a restraining order out on you" Blair said as Tyler looked on at the paper in disbelief

"For what?" Tyler questioned in disbelief

"For safety of course. With the whole random and rude questions you asked the last night, I couldn't help but view you as deranged and psychotic" Blair told him

"It's my job to ask question, hence being a journalist" Tyler replied

"Yeah well, I thought you were borderline crazy" Blair quickly replied to his statement "This all can be avoided if you work with me to get this book pulled from every shelf" she said

"Blackmailing me isn't the way of going about getting me on your team" Tyler said as he approached her "You're threatening my job" he told her

"And you're threatening people I care about, so at this point your job means nothing to me" Blair told him as she stepped towards him "In a matter of minutes, I will get an e-mail that gives me in detail every thing I need to know to get a head start on getting to know who T.W. Adams is because it's clear that Tyler Waldorf doesn't exist" she said

"Stop with the games Blair, I guarantee you that you have no idea of what I'm capable of" Tyler told her with a stern voice before Blair heard her phone go off to let her know that she had an e-mail. Opening up her e-mail, Blair got details on Tyler that she was waiting for.

"Oh look, you're favorite restaurant is the Greek restaurant on the corner of fifth" Blair smiled before she took a moment to think "…the same restaurant that is known for knocking off the meat market a few blocks ahead of them. Hmm, I think it's only my civil duty to inform the authorities of this and while I'm at it get a Public Health department on this…" she began to say

"It's a family owned business, you'd really hurt an innocent family like that?" Tyler questioned as Blair began to hit the call button on her phone before Tyler quickly grabbed her phone "You come after me, and I'll come after you" he threatened

"Bring. It. On" Blair told him "I've been dying for a good sparring session" she said as she didn't back down one bit from his threat while the two glared at each other

"You have no idea what you just signed up for. I could destroy you" Tyler laughed

"I'd like to see you try" Blair fired back

"You're a little for a round of sibling rivalry" Tyler told her not breaking from his glare

"This is anything but, a rivalry would imply each party is equally matched and you my brother, are no cause of concern to me" Blair told him before the elevators door opened up with Eleanor walking off to see her two kids standing face to face with each other

"What happened to the food?" Eleanor asked as she looked on at the two in what seemed to be a standoff

"I'm not hungry" Blair quickly replied

"I'm full" Tyler added

"Okay, I have a few minutes…" Eleanor began to say before they both quickly turned to head for the elevator, passing her along the way

"I've got work to do" Tyler replied "Some story about a spoiled princess, who's in for a rude awakening has suddenly caught my attention" he said as pushed the elevator button while he glared on at Blair

"Oh…" Eleanor began to reply

"And I've got to make sure no imposters have gone around spreading lies about the family" Blair fired back

"Wait, what about tomorrow night?" Eleanor asked

"Sounds like fun" Tyler said through gritted teeth as he glared at Blair

"Can't wait" Blair fired back before Tyler quickly hopped on the elevator once it open so he could immediately close it on Blair. "Dammit!" she cursed as she hit the closing elevator door while she had to endure that Tyler had managed to get a head start on her.

* * *

**War, huh, yeah**

**What is it good for**

**Absolutely nothing**

**Uh-huh**

**War, huh, yeah**

**What is it good for**

**Absolutely nothing**

**Say it again, y'all**

_**Chelsea: Dooney and Bourke New York Chain**_

_**Tyler: Hi, is this Chelsea?**_

_**Chelsea: Yes, this is her.**_

_**Tyler: Hi, this is Tyler. You know the guy…**_

_**Chelsea: I remember you. How have you been?**_

_**Tyler: Good but I could be better with your help. My mother, Eleanor Waldorf, she was wondering if it was possible if you could do her a favor.**_

While her minions sat with Blackberry's in hand constructing her form of attack, Blair modeled the new handbag in the mirror. All week long, Blair had gone through each bag to get it customized to her liking and today was finally the day she'd walk out with her customized Portofino Dooney and Bourke bag. Satisfied with how it looked, Blair told the clerk that she was ready to buy the bag. Modeling the bag for her minions, knowing she'd gain such hate from them since they were unable to get it customized like she could, Blair marveled in the perks of being Eleanor Waldorf's daughter. What was limited to some was unlimited to her and she was definitely loving it. Making her way towards the register, Blair handed the bag over while it was being wrapped for purchase while the clerk rang her up.

"How will you be paying?" Chelsea asked

"My mother's card is on file" Blair replied as she found it to be ridiculous that the girl would ask such a question since her mother was well known in the store

"This is Blair Waldorf, Eleanor Waldorf's daughter" The assistant told her

"Oh" Chelsea said coming to the realization "There might be a bit of a problem" she reluctantly began to say

"Problem, what problem?" Blair asked

"The card has been pulled, your mother was switching her banker and didn't want charges on any of the cards….didn't your brother tell you?" Chelsea asked as Blair's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull while her minions stood confused as to what the girl was talking about since to their knowledge they didn't know Blair had a brother

"Brother? Since when did you have a brother?" Penelope asked

"I don't, after today he's officially dead" Blair said as she stormed out of the store "Come on!" she yelled for her minions before they quickly ran out of the store

**War, huh, good God**

**What is it good for**

**Absolutely nothing**

**Listen to me**

_**Blair: Thank you so much for letting me in. I wanted to do some cleaning before my dear, sweet brother comes home. He has no idea I've come over just to see him.**_

_**Tyler's Landlord: No problem, do you guys need cleaning supplies, you look a little empty handed?**_

_**Blair: We've got every thing we need**_

_**Tyler's Landlord: I never knew anyone to keep a pigeon as a pet. I thought Tyler was afraid of birds?**_

_**Blair: That's a little joke he likes to play on people, but he quite the animal lover.**_

Laughing as they rode the elevator up after a good pick up game, Tyler and Sean couldn't wait to get a hold to some ice cold water after working up such a sweat. Tyler wasn't one to work out on a regular basis but when he played basketball with a few of his friends it always seemed to make him work up quite a sweat. Sean made fun of him for it, but Tyler didn't care because basketball wasn't his strong suit. Pulling out his keys, Tyler opened up the door to his apartment to a complete surprise. Covering the whole living room area, pigeons walked about snacking on food that was put down on the floor.

"Do you have some Dr. Dolittle fetish that you want to tell me about?…I could've sworn you hated birds" Sean said as Tyler and him dodged the birds flying towards them

"I am" Tyler squealed like a girl as he tried to avoid being touched by the numerous birds as he made his way towards the note hanging on the chair before them

"Man, I think they're shitting all over your floor….wait, they've all ready shitted" Sean commented as he looked on at all the birds

"One shitty move to another. Blair, The real Waldorf" Tyler read

"Who did this?" Sean asked

"My annoying little sister" Tyler groaned in frustration as he crumpled up the paper before he was splashed with poop as a bird flew over him.

**Ohhh, war, I despise**

**Because it means destruction**

**Of innocent lives**

**War means tears**

_**Spa Receptionist: Are you sure? She's never requested that treatment**_

_**Tyler: And she never would, she's a little on the cheap side but since she's my baby sis, I figured I'd treat her to a memorable spa experience. I'm sure she'll be itching to return after this treatment.**_

Coming out from her massage, Serena felt more relaxed than ever befor she took her seat next to Blair. Setting her treatment card to the side as she waited for her foot rub, Serena took a sip of her lemon water, Serena couldn't help but notice Sean sitting off in the corner looking more bored than ever. Hating that Jason was so paranoid, Serena wanted to relieve Sean of his duties of hanging out with her but she didn't want to get him trouble with rookie hazing being big throughout the week. If there was anything she knew, she knew that Jason was a relentless captain that had numerous followers on the team that would've made Sean's life hell if he went against Jason. Just as she got caught up in feeling sorry for Sean, Serena couldn't help but notice that Blair kept scratching her arms and legs.

"B, are you okay?" Serena asked

"Yeah, I think must've drank the wrong thing or something" Blair replied as she continued to scratch

"Drink? You've only had the water" Serena questioned

"Maybe the hulk looking woman I got creeped me out and I just can't shake her from my thoughts" Blair teased as Serena couldn't help but laugh while she reached over to grab Blair's treatment card

"Since when do you get the eucalyptus wrap?" Serena asked as Blair looked at her with a panic look

"Eucalyptus? That stuff makes me itch and break out in a rash" Blair exclaimed "It has like the reverse effect on me" she declared

"Well it says here that it's what you ordered…it has a different credit card number listed. Maybe it was a mix up" Serena said as Blair looked on at the card "Did Dan pay for this?" she asked as Blair looked confused but was torn out of her confusion once she heard the laughter come from Sean. Turning their attention towards him, Blair looked at him skeptically while he tried to stop his laughter

"Sorry, I just…it's a bit breezy in here and that make me itch…I guess that's not the right word to use in this situation" Sean babbled

"That ass!" Blair said as she slammed her fists down on the chair before she got up to head back to the ladies lockerroom to change

"Who?" Serena asked as she looked over at Sean

"Tyler" Sean told her

**To thousands of mothers eyes**

**When their sons go to fight**

**And lose their lives**

**I said, war, huh**

**Good God, y'all**

_**Tiffany: Hello**_

_**Blair: My name is Dr. Blair and I just wanted to call to inform Tyler that his herpes medication has been sent in and he shouldn't worry about anymore inflammation. Also, I'd advise against sex with that whole orange looking puss from his lower area but if an erection were to happen, it's okay, let the torpedo launch but make sure nothing is blasting off or in of any sort.**_

Dressed for the evening, Tyler splashed on more cologne as he wanted to look good. Looking himself over in the mirror one last time, Tyler just knew he was going to get lucky tonight because Tiffany was more than eager to make sure he had a happy ending by any means. Coming out of the bathroom, Tyler squirmed at the thought of birds still roaming about but the landlord had given him reassurance that he had gotten rid of all them. Grabbing his cell phone, Tyler quickly dialed Tiffany's number as he wanted to swing by to pick her up early.

"You have some nerve calling me!" Tiffany answered angrily

"What? I thought we had a date tonight. Why are you so upset?" Tyler asked as he was caught off guard by her anger

"Your doctor called today and said that you had herpes. You forgot to mention that detail along with the fact that you have other gross stuff going on down in that region" Tiffany replied

"My doctor? I didn't even go to a doctor…I mean I don't have herpes or anything wrong in that region" Tyler reasoned as he stood confused

"Well I can't see you now or ever" Tiffany replied as Tyler silently cursed to himself in frustration

"By any chance, did you pick up this Doctors name?" Tyler asked

"Doctor Blair" Tiffany told him before he quickly hung up the phone

**What is it good for**

**Absolutely nothing**

**Say it again**

**War, whoa, Lord**

**What is it good for**

**Absolutely nothing**

**Listen to me**

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night Blair" The TMZ reporter told her

"As I do you. I think you'll be in for a shocker" Blair smiled before she ended the call "Game. Set….and match to me" she said to herself as she smiled devilishly at her minions.

**War, it ain't nothing**

**But a heartbreaker**

**War, friend only to the undertaker**

* * *

Listening to the blotching sounds of calamine lotion splatter into her hands, Dan looked on at Blair as she was stripped down to her underwear and bra just applying cream all over her body. Trying to understand how she left perfectly normal and returned looking like a red crayon had attacked her body, Dan stood confused on what happened in the course of a day for her. Crying silently to herself as she couldn't have a had worse time than to pick up a rash, Blair couldn't take the look of her body with all the red blotches throughout. Realizing that she was running low, Dan walked over towards the bed to hand her another tube of calamine lotion as he just sighed from the stressful day that he had. Returning the ring had prove to be more difficult than he originally anticipated as the jeweler suddenly had a no return policy, so now everyday he had a constant reminder sitting in the drawer that marriage wasn't in the future for Blair and him. Then with the stress of watching people flock towards Insider while he couldn't even manage to put a single word down on paper since then, Dan felt the ultimate writers block that he was trying so hard to break free from and he hoped that maybe if he talked with Blair about it then he'd feel better.

"I took your advice and got rid of the clutter…I tried writing that story I was telling you about…" Dan began to say before Blair slammed down the tube on the kitchen counter.

"Ugh! My stupid brother….if you can even call him that. I mean can you believe he did this to me?" Blair groaned in frustration as she turned to look at Dan "Look at me, I'm a big red mess" she complained

"Tyler did this to you?" Dan asked

"Yes, he did this. He's the reason why calamine lotion just got the biggest sale of their lives" Blair replied as she began to apply more lotion to her body

"….speaking of Tyler, I was actually thinking about doing what he does, you know get back in to the writing scene…." Dan began to say

"He's not a writer, he's a scam artist. I just know it, I mean it only makes sense. He goes around writing about people when they think they're having a genuine conversation with him. He's a con artist and I can't wait to reveal him for the annoying ass that he is" Blair stated

"Can't wait? What exactly does that mean?" Dan asked

"It means what it means. Tyler just prances around like he's some sort of moral high ground. I found out so much information on him from Hazel and Penelope and with a few more constructed plans, I intend to use it to my full advantage" Blair told him

"Full advantage? Blair, he's your brother. You can't exactly scheme against him, maybe actual words should be used this time" Dan told her

"Do you not see what he's done?" Blair exclaimed as she pointed to her body while Dan just looked on at her in utter confusion as to what he was supposed to say

"You're right, Tyler is an evil master mind in the making. Expose him for the fraud that he is" Dan sarcastically replied before he tossed the bag of calamine lotion on to the bathroom counter before he pulled his cell phone out "I have to make a call" he told her before he walked off not waiting for a reply

"You'll see" Blair called out while Dan made his way into the office. Flopping down in the chair, Dan looked at his reflection in the computer screen as all he could do was sigh. Turning the computer off of sleep mode, Dan went down to his writing folder to open up to see the latest piece that he was working on only to see that it only had one half ass written paragraph. Becoming more frustrated with his lack of production, Dan closed his laptop as any inspiration he may have had went out the window quicker than he even intended to hold on to it. Pulling his cell phone out, Dan dialed a familiar number before he got up to close the door.

"Hello" Eleanor answered the phone as Dan waited a moment to hear her voice

"Hey" Dan replied

"I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw your name on my caller identification" Eleanor said as the joy was becoming apparent in her voice

"Yeah, I've been thinking about the last time that we spoke….I hated how I was. You've done a lot for me and I don't want to come across like I don't appreciate you" Dan told her "….I just need you to let me do my own thing. I get that you're trying to help me out but I need to do this on my own because at this point I'm not sure if I'm capable of doing anything on my own" he said

"You're capable. I've always believed that you were capable…Dan, you're the brightest young man that I know" Eleanor said as she could feel a sound of defeat in his voice before a silence came between them

"If I was different, if I looked a bit different…do you think you would've hired me? I mean in all honesty…I just want the truth" Dan asked as Eleanor let out a deep sigh. Hearing her choke up on the other end of the phone, Dan braced himself for an answer

"My answer would be yes, but I guess subconsciously…I did hire you because of the similarity" Eleanor finally revealed as she knew the truth, even how minimal it was would be good for him to hear

"See, it wasn't that hard" Dan replied as he clenched his eyes close while he couldn't help but feel like another blow had been taken to him by the hands of Waldorf "Thank you for everything, I can handle it from here" he said before he quickly ended the call and tossed on to the desk.

* * *

Pouring himself a glass of Vodka, Chuck took a lingering sip as he just hoped that this glass would get him through the day. Chuck had meetings after meetings with different vendors that he had picked up from the big party they had put on, but his main goal was to get back home to his wife. It had seemed strange to say that he had a wife but marriage was the best possible thing he had going in his life. Seeing Carter head out towards the sitting area of Victrola, Chuck grabbed his glass as he made his way towards him. Shuffling through his money, Carter seemed to count it endlessly as if he was hoping for it to be more. Chuck wanted to believe that Carter was good and was getting away from his gambling problem, but Chuck knew that he was still in with Dominic and Nikki.

"I believe you have exact change" Chuck said before Carter looked up to see Chuck standing next to him

"What are we sneaking up on each other?" Carter asked as he nearly jumped out of his seat in shock

"I'd think that I'd have to search high and low to find you with you being a writer and all" Chuck said as he took a seat

"I take it you've purchased the book" Carter concluded

"No, I didn't purchase it. I can get trashed for free off of Gossip Girl, I don't need to buy a book in order to see it now" Chuck told him

"Maybe you're doing right, but you're missing out" Carter laughed

"So is this something that you don't even bother to hide anymore?" Chuck asked "I mean how much did it cost to just screw everyone that you know over?" he asked

"I love how I'm getting a morality lesson from the most immoral person in the Upper Eastside" Carter laughed to himself "I mean look at you, you get married and now you're just a saint" he said "Chuck fucking Bass, the moral compass of the Upper Eastside" he went on to say

"No, I don't think I'm anything…I'm trying to help you" Chuck quickly replied "I'm only trying to help you" he said

"Help me with the business of Victrola, help me with balancing the books…that's the help I need" Carter told him

"Whatever you want. Sooner or later you will crash and burn, but this time you will have no one!" Chuck said becoming frustrated as he spoke before he slammed the table "You care about no one but yourself and this book, everything that you've done to your best friend…to everyone! This will be the very thing that will grant you the wish because no one will put up with this. You've got a problem and slowly but surely it's caused everyone to want nothing to do with you" he said angrily as all Carter could do was grit his teeth while all he could do was bare it.

"If you'll excuse me, I have an radio interview to get to" Carter said as he got up from his seat.

* * *

Hoping to spend the day writing at the house, Dan saw that it was useless as Blair had everyone and anyone come in and out the house. Just as Dan felt like he was finding some bit of a groove, Dan would hear a knock come to the door or requests to help with something. Blair had promised to be back in time to take care of the caterers and the other things she had arranged, but a work emergency had tore her away for what was supposed to be an hour. The day dwindled away and all Dan could do was look on at the numerous workers that Blair had hired while he went to get ready for a party he wasn't even too thrilled to go to. Little by little, people sauntered in and gave compliments of the house to where Dan felt like he was giving pre written answers that he had said over and over. Stepping away off onto the patio, Dan downed a bottle of beer in hopes of settling his nerves before he found that he was joined by Tyler.

"Nice house that you have here" Tyler told him

"I'd say thank you but I really don't care at this point" Dan shrugged

"I can see that you've fizzled out of the social event" Tyler laughed "Tell me, how do you survive in all of this? What are the keys?" he asked with a bit of laughter

"I'd tell you but I'd hate for you to know the secret and get it outed" Dan replied as the two sipped on their beers "I hear you're at war with Blair, how is that going for you?" he asked

"War wouldn't the word I'd use, but we're having a problem understanding each other" Tyler said

"Probably because she's headstrong. Once she believes she knows something, she won't believe otherwise" Dan replied

"She thinks she knows it all" Tyler quickly added

"Because she does" Dan laughed to himself "She's strong willed and you have no chance against it" he said as a silence came between them

"I take it you've seen all sides of her" Tyler said as he observed a sadness from Dan

"I've observed and had the privilege of being the man behind the woman" Dan smiled weakly "She's moving up while I stand in the back round, which is good…we're supportive of each other" he said trying to sound some bit of upbeat about his relationship as the sadness seeped out at moments "But she's someone that if you truly take the time, I mean really take the time to get to know what she's all about, you'll love her" he told him

"It's hard to get to know someone that you're completely opposite from" Tyler replied

"I'll take that as a generalization to entire Waldorf family, and to that I will say that once again, when you take the time to get truly know them…you'll love them because it's the only thing they make you do" Dan told him "Eleanor isn't the greatest mother in the world, but she's yours…she's here and waiting to be in your life. I can honestly tell you with the little that I know of you…I'm envious of the life you could have if you just accept that a mother could be included in it" he said as he looked in to see that Eleanor had made it. For a moment, Dan stood and watched the woman that he had managed to view as more than just an employer but as it should be, Dan was finally the outsider looking in on her.

"We may have the same upbringing, but it's not easy to just be around her" Tyler reasoned as he wasn't quite sure why he was talking to Dan about this of all people "She has you…clearly she found ways of coping and maybe we shouldn't disturb that" he said

"That's where you're wrong" Dan told him as he tossed his bottle of beer into the trash "I was just a stand in for you. I'm always the stepping stone to something bigger and better, while that sounds depressing, I've come to accept that especially when it comes to mothers. You have an opportunity and even though I selfishly would like to believe that I have a piece of her heart for just being me, I've known since the moment I found out about you…she's wants nothing more than to just be there for you and make it right, so just let her…you don't have anything to lose" he said before he walked off, leaving Tyler to stand back and watch his mother.

* * *

Smiling at the guests that she passed as she made her way out of the bedroom from getting dressed, Blair looked on at her phone to see that she didn't have long until her guest of honors would finally show up. Wanting to find her mother before it all would be revealed, Blair looked out on the patio to see that Tyler was looking in on Eleanor. Feeling more panic than ever, Blair knew that she had to get to her mother before Tyler would. Scanning the area for her mother nervously, Blair laid eyes on her mother and wasted no time in walking over to her and Cyrus. Walking up, Blair was immediately embraced by Cyrus as he came bearing gifts that she was sure had significant and historical meaning behind them but Blair's main goal was to just get her mother alone. Noticing that Tyler was looking at her and her mother, Blair quickly lead Eleanor into the guest bedroom before closing the door behind her so that she could lock it.

"Honey this place is amazing. The décor is amazing" Eleanor smiled

"Thank you, but I need to talk to you" Blair brushed off her mother's compliments

"Speaking of talking, I wanted to talk to you about Dan, he called me last night and I just couldn't manage to get him out of my thoughts all day today…." Eleanor began to say

"Dan? Dan's fine" Blair told her mother

"I'd like to believe that but I just…I get this feeling that something is bothering him. Like there's a reason why he's so upset these days, I mean you said he hasn't spoken to Carter in a while, right?" Eleanor asked

"Dan is just adjusting. Trust me, I'd know if something is wrong with Humphrey" Blair said "But that's not what I brought you in here for, I need to talk to you about T.W." she said

"You mean Tyler" Eleanor corrected

"No, I mean T.W. as in T.W. Adams, the guy we knew when he first arrived" Blair said

"What about him?" Eleanor asked as Blair took a moment to access how she should break the news to her mother

"I don't think…I don't think he's the person you think he is. I've found out some stuff and…" Blair began to say before a knock came to the door breaking Blair out of his moment of truth

"Blair, are you in there!" Hazel called out

"Not now!" Blair replied back with a bit of frustration "There's a reason why he's been so secretive about his life…" she began to say

"Blair, c'mon!" Penelope said as she banged against the door

"I said not now!" Blair began to yell back

"Their here" Kati said before she opened up the door to inform Blair. Hating to leave her mother's side, Blair made her way out of the room to see that her minions were right, the TMZ camera crew had made it.

"This is going to be good" Penelope beamed with happiness "Gossip Girl is going to hate she missed this exclusive" she said as she began to film on her video

"Blair, what's going on?" Dan asked as she walked up towards her while he looked on to see the same confused face on Eleanor's face

"The truth" Blair replied after she took in the sight of her friends sprinkled amongst the crowd but ultimately the final image was Tyler, her brother.

"Okay, here's the guest of honor" The reporter said as he instructed the camera crew to focus in on Blair as she made her way towards the center of the room

"Thank you for coming" Blair greeted them before she turned to address the crowd.

**_Meanwhile in the crowd…_**

"Do you guys usually have TMZ at your parties?" Sean leaned forward to whisper to Serena

"Not usually, but I'm afraid this will be bad" Serena uttered to herself as she feared what Blair would do

"Yes, because anything TMZ related has turned out good" Sean replied in his usual sarcastic tone before he turned his attention back towards Blair.

**_Meanwhile…._**

"Thank you all for coming out to my humble abode that I share with my boyfriend, Daniel Humphrey" Blair started out as the guest clapped for her while Dan endured the cheesy smiles that came his way as he folded his arms to figure out what was going on.

**_Meanwhile…._**

"Did you guys know that TMZ would be here?" Nate asked as he continued to eat the peanuts he had in his hand

"No clue" Chuck replied before he looked on at Jenny to see if she knew

"I had no idea" Jenny quickly replied as she shook her head

**_Meanwhile…_**

"It's a huge step to move out and I'm glad that I've found a wonderful person to do so with. Thankfully he doesn't snore so that's always a bonus" Blair joked as the guest laughed "But tonight isn't about just me, tonight is about family…my family" she began to say

**_Meanwhile…_**

"No, no, no. Blair don't do this. Don't do it" Cyrus uttered to himself as he feared where this may go while Dan looked over at Tyler, who seemed more eager to hear where Blair was going to take this before he finally walked out from the crowd to approach Blair.

**_Meanwhile…_**

"Do you really want to do this? I mean do you really have it out for me that much to do this?" Tyler questioned as he blocked Blair off from the guests

"You started this, I'm just winning the last and final round. Now get out of the way, you're blocking my spotlight" Blair said before she pushed him aside as the camera man walked around trying to get different angles of the two "I want to introduce and celebrate my latest addition to the family…my brother, Tyler Waldorf" she declared as gasps immediately erupted in the crowd with shock. "Now, now. Tyler isn't used to the attention, so please don't overload him with questions or take pictures to send in to any media outlets that may be expecting this bit of information" she said but meant something else knowing that her minions were breaking every bit of what she said not to do

"I'm done with this and you!" Tyler sniped at Blair as he attempted to leave

"No, stay. I want people to know about my brother. We have so much to catch up on…you shouldn't mind the cameras because being in the Upper Eastside, privacy isn't always a given" Blair quickly said as Tyler stopped dead in his tracks as he was still caught up in the center stage of the attention that he was getting. Looking around, people looked on at him and Blair like they were the entertainment of the party

"Go ahead, give your final shot….that's what today has been about, getting back at each other for whatever contrived reason you've created in your head" Tyler said becoming frustrated "Go ahead little sis, give the kill shot, the stage is all yours because at the end of the day I will never be some stuck up brat as yourself. All you are is a trust fund kid, and I'm glad my parents never raised me to want this life" he challenged her as Blair became infuriated

**_Meanwhile…_**

"Oh, no. Blair hates being called that term" Serena squirmed as she could only wait to hear Blair's reaction

"What term?" Sean asked

"Trust fund kid, she's always hated that term especially being called it" Serena said as she tried to duck away from watching

**_Meanwhile…_**

"Your parents couldn't raise you to be a trust fund kid because it's kind of hard to when you killed them!" Blair declared as another gasp erupted in the crowd while Tyler looked at her in pure shock himself as if the worst part of his life was being dredged up "You killed your parents along with an innocent girl, I have the newspaper clippings to prove it" she stated as she held up her phone

"You don't know what you're talking about" Tyler said through gritted teeth as tears welled up in his eyes

"I think I do" Blair stated as her tone got even more nastier "You came looking for our mother probably because you want to kill her too and profit off of it because Lord knows you didn't get some cash out…" she began to berate him before he finally grabbed her phone to slam it to the floor so that it broke to a thousand pieces it seemed

"You don't know anything about me!" Tyler yelled before Dan finally stepped in to between the two

"Okay, that's enough for tonight. Everyone go home" Dan instructed as he ushered Blair away

"You'll never be family, so you don't have to worry about accepting me or my mother!" Blair declared as Tyler did his best to keep it together before he finally had enough and ran out of the house.

**_Meanwhile…_**

"I'm sorry, but I have…" Sean began to say as he watched Tyler run off

"It's okay. Go after him" Serena quickly told him as she pushed him to leave.

**_Meanwhile…_**

"What is the matter with you?" Eleanor asked as she immediately scolded her daughter once they were alone in the guest room with no camera's around

"No, this isn't about me. This is about what he chooses to tell us and doesn't tell us. All he does is act like he's better than us because he had this whole moral filled life, well he's no better than we are!" Blair quickly replied in her defense

"Not everyone will love this Upper Eastside life, and you need to accept that" Eleanor told her "You don't make the rules!" she said

"So what? This is my fault?…I was protecting my family and friends. You saw how he went after Nate, and I'm wrong. Mother he's a con artist in the making…" Blair began to say

"He's your brother!" Eleanor interrupted

"No, he's not. I wasn't raised with him and I refuse to accept someone who looks down on me because of how I was raised. He'll never be my brother" Blair stated

"Do you hear what you're saying ? I mean you don't even know the real him and you just make these accusations like he's some vindictive person trying to hurt the family" Eleanor stated as tears welled up in her eyes

"Because he is!" Blair quickly replied angrily before she took in her mother's reaction to it all "I guess my real question is….who's side are you taking in all of this…because it feels like you're taking his" she said

"No, you will not do this to me. I love both of my kids. I do not have favorites!" Eleanor replied

"You don't have to" Blair replied as she wiped away a tear from her eyes that was about to fall "I mean it makes sense… you had to learn to love me, while he just gets your unconditioned love right off the bat" she said

"Really? Now I'm some horrible mother!" Eleanor questioned "I may have never been the best, but I have always been a mother to you" she stated

"It took me having to get admitted into a hospital for bulimia for you to even notice that I needed a mother!" Blair replied angrily "I needed you, I still need you but yet you make more of an effort to be in his life than you ever did with me!" she replied "So if you want him, go have him because I won't be there to protect you anymore" she said as she pushed past Cyrus and Dan to make her way out of the room.

* * *

Cashing out on his ticket, Carter was supposed to feel glad that he had won a thousand dollars but it just seemed to make him even more upset. Money was something he had always been raised around, but it was never something that he felt he would be blinded by. Carter went back and forth with trying to figure out if he had a gambling problem, but in the end he questioned what would be the purpose of getting better if there was nothing to reform for. Claiming Insider had more than put the final nail in his friendship with Dan, but if he had to do it again Carter would've done the same thing because he wanted to make one last stand in protecting Dan. In the span of hours, Carter's minimal friendships had come down to just one acquaintance that was Chuck Bass, and even that was feeling like he didn't deserve. Chuck understood what it was like to be the scum on everyone's shoe, but Carter didn't want understanding. Making his way out of the casino, Carter was immediately greeted by Nikki, who seemed to be happier than ever to see that Carter was producing a steady flow on cash that was to pay off his debt.

"Thousand. It's a bad night, but I can get your more with the bets I put on the games" Carter sighed as he handed the money over

"A man of your word" Nikki smiled as he counted it

"That's a strange phrase coming from you" Carter laughed to himself

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nikki asked

"It just means that if we're both supposed to be men of our words then honesty should be in those words" Carter said

"Okay, I don't speak in cryptic undertones, what the hell are you getting at Carter?" Nikki asked

"It means that I know you're the rat in the organization. I saw you" Carter told him "I may owe your father money, but I'm not going to go down as an associate to your betrayal" he said as Nikki looked around for a moment before slamming Carter against the car

"You think you know everything?" Nikki questioned

"I know that Dominic has been looking for the rat, and I'm sure he'd be livid if he knew it was his own son" Carter replied as he tried to breath

"Well know this, since you think have it all figured out….I'm your ticket out. I'm the reason you'll get to walk away unscathed" Nikki told him as Carter looked at him with confusion

* * *

Heading back to the house once she figured that everyone had left, Blair took in the darkness of the night before she got out of the taxi. Making her way up the stairs, Blair pulled out her keys and began to make her way inside to see the bits of mess that the guests had left behind. Sighing in relief that she had avoided running in to any of her minions or friends for that matter, Blair just wanted to take a nice hot shower and go to bed. Walking in further, Blair noticed Dan sitting at the kitchen table with newspaper print outs scattered all over the table. Looking at the clippings for a moment, Blair didn't feel the need to read up any further on Tyler's lies as she knew the truths of what he was to her. Taking a seat at the opposite end of the table, Blair sighed as she looked up to see Dan's eyes looking back at her.

"Where'd you go?" Dan asked as he sat his bottle of beer on the table

"I had to clear my head" Blair softly replied "Did you talk to anyone?" he asked

"Are you referring to the news team you had over?" Dan asked

"If you want to add them, then fine, did you talk to them?" Blair asked

"No, I think they intruded on enough things for the night" Dan replied with a bit of laughter to himself as he was still in disbelief "Tonight wasn't about us and our place together, was it? It wasn't about our relationship or any indication of us as a couple" he questioned as a moment of silence came between them "It was about going after Tyler, wasn't it?" he asked

"I'm not going to apologize for how things turned out" Blair told him after a moment of silence "He went after my friend…." she began to say

"He was doing his job?" Dan replied "Nate's family is in the position to have every aspect of their lives examined, so he's doing what he is paid to do" he told him

"And I'm doing what I feel I have to do. Ever since he came in to this world he's made my mother jump through hoops over a mistake she made years ago, he's made no effort to get to know me….and you know why? Because he all ready had his mind made up about us and this family" Blair told him

"Okay, so you did what you had to? You researched him and then exposed him for the con artist that he was, right?" Dan asked

"Yes, I did exactly that" Blair replied

"Then you're lagging it on your research efforts. You're a smart girl, part of the reason why I love you so much because you are so smart…but tonight you made a mistake, you made an accusation that was so off base" Dan told her

"And what was that?" Blair asked as she laughed to herself "Since you seem to know him so much" she replied

"You forgot to read the whole story" Dan told her as he held up the printed newspaper article "T.W. Adams, also know as, Tyler Waldorf….he was on his way back to his house due to running late for a school event, while he wasn't looking he accidentally drove into the other lane. Upon realizing it, Adams swerved out of the way to avoid anything but minor injuries but three fatalities resulted in his negligence. The victims included Adam's mother and father, along with his long time girlfriend" he read to Blair before tossing the paper back on to the paper "It was an accident, a simple mistake, which you amplified in to something more than what it was" he said

"Then he should know what it is to be crucified for a mistake. My tactic may have been wrong, but I don't apologize for what I did" Blair continued to defend herself "And you're one to talk, you crucify Carter for what he's done…" she began to say

"That's different. Carter is not my flesh and blood, he's not my family….Tyler is your brother" Dan stated

"No, Carter is a human being that made a mistake. If you're going to hold me to a higher standard than you should do the same for yourself" Blair replied as she got up from the table "I guess since I've disappointed you, I guess I'll be on your mad list since that's what you do these days" she told him as she began to walk towards the bedroom

"We need to discuss this" Dan said in a calm voice

"No, we don't need to. I don't want to talk about Tyler or getting to know him, I'm done with trying to get to know him or giving him the benefit of the doubt. Boo frickin who" Blair replied "I showed my loyalty to my family and friends, the least you could've done is do the same for me because even when you're wrong, and oh how you've been wrong, I show my loyalty to you. So don't even think about coming in to this bedroom because now I need space from you!" she yelled before she walked off into the bedroom to slam the door behind her while all Dan could do was sigh in frustration as he sat in his lonesome. Getting up from his seat, Dan walked into the kitchen to grab another beer as he just continued to sip on.

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter-**

**Edwin Starr- War**

* * *

**Author's Note: So this chapter was a bit intense, a bit longer than I had originally anticipated it to be but overall I think it covered everyone's storylines but mainly the focus was on Tyler/Blair and Dan. **

**Tyler and Blair- I loved them in this chapter because I don't think I've ever seen a sibling rivalry be done on GG, but then again not much is done on GG. What started off as simple back and forth then turned into what the real issue is and that's the fact that Tyler and Blair have all ready made their minds up about each other. Tyler is new to her world, but at the same time he's come in to this world thinking that he all ready better because he knew the values that were important. Blair being Upper Eastsider proud, she doesn't take kindly to people placing their own perceptions on what they think she is. **

**Blair was harsh and nasty in this chapter because she still has those insecurities when it comes to her mother, but it was only masked by her loyalty to family and friends. Blair states that Eleanor had to learn to love her, and Tyler just got her love. Blair's relationship with Eleanor is good, but she still has those doubts of something will always be better than her in her mother's eyes. So although she was nasty and just a flat out bitch, Blair has deeper reasoning behind it. **

**Tyler's story still has a bit to be added, but his overall story is accepting this world and his family because the family that he once knew is dead. So he's basically got to start over. The question will be can these two siblings come to understand each other and find the common ground to coexist under the circumstances.**

**Dan- I hope that Dan somewhat redeemed himself in this chapter. I didn't want you guys to think that Dan was a complete ass, which he is at times but I like to believe that there is always something deeper behind someone's attitude. Eleanor's admittance to her hiring Dan wasn't to hurt Dan, but to admit that subconsciensly she did something without even realizing. I'm sure we've all done something we viewed as completely okay but to other they say it's wrong, it comes in to play with these two. Eleanor never or would never intentionally hurt Dan, it's just that Dan's mother issues cause him to be more skeptical of peoples intent becaue he think he's never good enough. Dan's showing glimpse of the Dan you love, but the issue still remains.**

**Everyone Else's storylines are starting to be sprinkled in. **

**Carter may have his way out of Dominic's clutches, so what will he do to go about his freedoms and will he truly address his gambling problem. I loved Carter in this chapter because although he played the matyr for the book his whole intent is that he's doing it for Dan and he has no regrets for it. Too bad Blair doesn't think he's smart enough to write a book though. Lol.**

**Serena's storyline will feature a hot debate that many Dair fans have used in their arguments against Chair, so I thought I'd showcase that issue and show that I intentionally wrote it to be that and don't glamorize it.**

**Nate's storyline is being weaved in and will pick up in the upcoming chapters. So if you love the core group of friends, you'll love these upcoming chapters.**

**Chuck's storyline will pick up more towards the end of this story, but it will my take on how the Bass Industry storyline should've gone down. **


	10. The Last Days of Disco Stick

**Author's Note- Thank you all for the reviews. Like I said, if I get over ten then I'll give you a quick update. I greatly appreciate you guys and your feedback, I've had fun reading them and seeing how into the story you guys are. I feel for Dan now because I fear you guys may lead a intervention on him to return back to From the Beginning Form. Just hang in there, Dan is dealing with his issues but I assure you that he will return to form. So I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your feedback.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Nine- The Last Days of Disco Stick**

* * *

**[Flashback- Second Time Around-Chapter One (The Beginning of Insider)]**

_Looking out at the wave's crash onto the shores of the beach, Dan got lost in the stillness of the night. Turning back, wondering if he should head back to the villa to at least let Eleanor know where he was, Dan soon felt resigned to just stay a bit longer to collect his thoughts. Taking a seat on the log in front of well lit bon fire that was left over from the people that had just left; Dan pulled out his notebook and began to look on the pages he had all ready completed. Most of it was random thoughts that he would soon put together on his laptop in a word document, but until he found himself stationary in front of his lap top, he'd have to settle for just scribbling down notes. The first thing he thought of was to write about how once again Blair Waldorf managed to make him the fool in all of this, but he didn't want to write in anger, especially when his current story held much of his attention. Deep down, Dan knew that he no right to be upset with Blair, but he hoped that over the summer that she would have been able to sustain having sex with someone else, like he was able to do, the very thought of her being with someone else made him sick to his stomach. Taking a few moments to put his anger aside over the latest revelation of Blair's indiscretions, Dan took the top of his pen and began to write._

**_Chuck Bass Excerpt_**

**_He creates darkness by his own makings. Everything he touches turns to ashes and all he could do is watch it turn to black dust by the touch of his hand. Not many see him interact with a normal family upbringing, but that's to be expected in the Upper Eastside, family is something rare and less treasured around here. He could be described as a Dark Knight, but even that title gives him too much credit than he deserves._**

**_Serena van der Woodsen Excerpt_**

**_She's one of those girls that a guy could love from a far. Everything about her is the epitome of a dream girl from her head to her toes. Though you'd learn more about her life through black ink plastered on blogs or in the newspapers, than what she'll ever care to share. She's a girl that wants to be loved from a far because she too afraid to be loved up close and personal, she afraid that the dream that she creates will morph into the nightmares that she can't control._**

**_Nate Archibald Excerpt_**

**_He looks the part of the prince, more than his so called best friend. From the outside, you can tell that he could care less about the riches, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying the lavishness of his lifestyle. He's confused, confused about life and confused about his heart. So much is expected of him that if the image he portrays to the outside world would ever reveal what he really was…the people closest would be shocked._**

**_Carter Baizen Excerpt_**

**_He has the desire to be more than the stereotype that has been placed on him. His mind is as abstract as the next, but he's about as normal as they come in this world of excess. There's not much he looks for in people, but that they have a passion for life and all that it has to offer. Over the course of time, one could pick up that he has a passion for money, but what strikes fear in me is if that passion for money will turn to greed._**

**_Blair Waldorf Excerpt_**

**_When one would first meet her, you'd think that she'd have the coldest of hearts, and times she can. That's not to say that she doesn't have reasoning behind it though, she guards her heart in fear of it being broken. She's not so quick to trust people because a girl of her stature, everyone's bound to take a snipe from those that are on top. Her beauty doesn't illuminate as brightly as her best friend, but her beauty is that of stuff you search your whole life for. Her heart, when she shows it, its as precious as diamonds, and I don't understand how anyone could want to hurt or harm a treasure such as her heart .To those that know her, she is Queen Bee, but to me….The Insider, she's just Waldorf._**

_Looking on at a work in progress, Dan read through the pages that he had managed to breeze through. Most of the thoughts fueled by personal experiences, Dan managed to write more efficient than he ever did in the past couple of months. Without even realizing it, Dan had given his pure thoughts into the small notebook but had managed to put a title to it. Could he possibly have his next writing project on his hands featuring the Upper Eastsides most elite. Gossip Girl had chronicled them since they were able to walk in their first Loubitons, but she had never had the access that he had on a daily basis. What made them think they could have free reign of everything and anything? What was the real struggles that they had to endure? How similar are they to the normal world? What makes them different from the rest of us? Dan questioned himself over and over again as he knew that writing this would put him in a position that would have no return. It would all just be his own insight, his own experiment to challenge his own beliefs._

**[End of Flashback]**

* * *

**Chest to chest**

**Nose to nose**

**Palm to palm**

**We were always just that close**

**Wrist to wrist**

**Toe to toe**

**Lips that felt just like the inside of a rose**

**So how come when I reach out my finger**

**It seems like more than distance between us**

Gripping on tight to her pillow, Blair's eyes slowly fluttered open to see that she still had a bit of time to go before she'd have to get up for work. Slowly rising in the bed so that she could look over her shoulder to look back at him, Blair could see that the space beside her was empty. It had been a crushing realization again and again for her to remember that she had forced his exit out of the bedroom, so sleeping by herself was something was something she hadn't quite mastered at this point. Rolling over onto her side, Blair looked on at the spot where he was supposed to be laying, remembering what it was to be next to him. Noses touching each other as smiles were all that they could give each other while their touches were sweet and innocent. Every bit of their bodies fit as if they were a missing puzzles. Those were the memories that came flooding back that made this separation all too difficult.

**In this California king bed**

**We're ten thousand miles apart**

**I've been California wishing on these stars**

**For you're heart on me**

**My California king**

Staring up at the ceiling in the living room, Dan focused in on one spot of the ceiling as some form of entertainment. No sleep had come to him even when he tried his hardest to get some, but it was all so strange to be on his own trying to sleep. Folding his arms on his chest, Dan sighed in frustration as nothing seemed to make him feel better. Sitting up on the sofa, Dan threw back the covers as he looked down the hallway towards the bedroom that he shared with her. Dan could only picture the mornings they'd wake up in each other's arms, whispering and talking like they hadn't seen each other weeks when they had just seen each other the night before.

**Eye to eye**

**Cheek to cheek**

**Side by side**

**You were sleeping next to me**

**Arm in arm**

**Dusk to dawn**

**With the curtains drawn**

**And a little last night on these sheets**

**So how come when I reach out my finger**

**It feels like more than distance between us**

Two days had passed and the silence in the house seemed deafening to her as she'd enter in from work. He'd be asleep by the time she'd come in as she welcomed the late nights, so it'd be no surprise to see that he was asleep on the sofa. Watching him sleep for a moment, Blair would be tempted to invite him back to bed with her but she refused to be the one to budge first. Heading in to the kitchen, Blair would notice the food he'd set aside for her and would be tempted to eat it but with her dinners with Bex and Louis it left no room for her to be hungry. Taking the food to put into the fridge, Blair figured that he'd take it for lunch or eat in for breakfast since he was prone to doing that to the meals they'd have the night before. Walking out of the kitchen, Blair gave one final look at the peacefully sleeping boy before she headed back towards the bedroom where she slept alone in her bed.

**In this California king bed**

**We're ten thousand miles apart**

**I've been California wishing on these stars**

**For you're heart on me**

**My California king**

Folding his sheets and blankets, Dan tossed them on to the sofa as he knew that he'd be spending another night on the sofa because he had heard no word of anything else. Going towards the mirror, Dan attempted to do his tie but failed to realize that he could never get his tie the way he wanted to. Mornings where he would be frustrated by the task, Blair would jump in to do it so that she could make sure that he was at his best for work. Dan was never one to be like the robotic clones that Bart had around the office but the satisfaction he got from her putting her pride in him, Dan felt as if that was his best part of the day. Pulling the tie off in frustration, Dan tossed the tie over his shoulder as that was something he'd have to deal with later.

**Just when I felt like giving up on us**

**You turned around and gave me one last touch**

**That made everything feel better**

**And even then my eyes got wetter**

**So confused wanna ask you if you love me**

**But I don't wanna seem so weak**

**Maybe I've been California dreaming**

It was rare within the week that they'd be home at the same time, but it was a Thursday night where they found themselves together but apart in distance both physically and mentally. Dan sat in the living room flipping through channels with much boredom while Blair sat in bed going over layouts for the upcoming fashion week. Looking over towards her nightstand, Blair noticed that she had the invitation for this years Cotillion. Memories of her own Cotillion had come rushing back as she remembered the possibility of almost missing out on her moment to be presented but it was Dan that had snuck he rout to have her moment. Getting caught up in the beginnings of how their love affair began, Blair quickly grabbed the invitation as she wondered if this could be the jump start to them talking again, if it could be the jumpstart to them realizing that they had those good memories together. Coming as far the door knob as she thought for a moment, wondering what she would say.

Stopping in his tracks, Dan realized that he'd need more than a fleeting memory of them to just burst in to the bedroom. Racking his brain, Dan wanted to come up with something that would make sense for him to ask so that he could finally be closer towards her, but every thing just seemed contrived and weak. Turning around, Dan sighed in frustration as he stopped and turned and turned and stopped.

**In this California king bed**

**We're ten thousand miles apart**

**I've been California wishing on the stars**

**For you're heart on me**

**My California king**

* * *

**[Present Day- One Week Later]**

Dan's eyes fluttered open as the sun came peeking through the curtains as he slowly woke. Feeling the crick in his back, Dan was once again reminded that he had spent another night on the sofa. Blair had become a stone wall of some sorts while her work became more and more of her distraction while their problems just drifted to the back of her mind. On occasion she would make him believe that they would actually talk and work through the issues but it just ended in her accepting a call that would eventually tear her away to the office. Throwing his blanket back on the sofa, Dan yawned as he got up from the sofa. Grabbing his cell phone off of the charger, Dan walked through the living room in just his boxers while he headed towards the bedroom. Hoping to see Blair laying down in the bed, Dan found his wishes once again slashed as he only saw a made up bed that shown she had snuck off without as much as a word to tell him. Leaning against the doorway, Dan began to go through his contact list before he dialed her number.

"I can't talk right now, I'm swamped Humphrey" Blair told him quickly

"That's nothing new" Dan muttered to himself "Can we do lunch, I kind of like to see my girlfriend today" he said

"I have work" Blair replied

"So when exactly can you pencil me in because there are some things that we need to talk about?" Dan asked yet again

"I don't know" Blair sighed

"You don't know or you don't care?" Dan questioned

"Don't do that, you know I care. I wouldn't be so pissed at you if I didn't care" Blair replied

"And I'm sorry but it's just how I felt and I still think that you need to give your brother a chance" Dan told her

"I don't give people a chance when they decide to write about my friends and family. I can only imagine the things he's said about my mother" Blair exclaimed

"Wait, you think he wrote it? That's what this whole sibling rivalry has been about?" Dan asked

"I wouldn't call it a rivalry, but I know for a fact that Carter didn't write this book and that he did. It was through his magazine…it all makes sense and points to him" Blair told him as Dan could only feel the added pressure of the moment knowing that the biggest of misunderstandings had taken place due to him.

"He didn't do what you think he did….I did" Dan said after a moment of thought before he just finally took a deep breath "No one is to blame but me….Blair, I wrote the book. I wrote Insider" he told her as he finally fessed up to his moment of truth before a silence came between them on the phone. Dan could only imagine the ways that Blair was going to rip him in to shreds but he knew that it was something that he had to take, it was something that he couldn't let Tyler take the hit for.

"You will do and say anything….all to protect him. God, what is everyone's fascination with Tyler Waldorf!" Blair exclaimed

"Blair, I wrote it" Dan stated once more as she could hear her cursing in French "Blair. Blair. Blair!" he called out

"Lying to me isn't going to help the situation and I wouldn't lie to protect him because regardless of the book…I don't need a brother. Goodbye" Blair said before she her end of the phone. Groaning in frustration, Dan couldn't believe that even when he was trying to be honest she didn't believe him.

* * *

Looking on at her phone after her conversation with Dan, Blair couldn't help but feel even more anger as it just seemed that everyone gravitated towards Tyler. Her mother was willing to go against her rules of meeting with the press just so she could have some bit of conversation with him, her father was coming home on a frequent basis even if it was just a day or two, everyone changed their whole lives to make room for him and she just couldn't understand why Dan was doing the same. Noticing Blair in deep thought, Louis broke away from his conversation and headed towards her as he could tell that she probably needed something to cheer her up. Glancing up from her phone to see Louis, Blair quickly put on the simplest smile she possessed so that she wouldn't let it show that she was distracted by any means.

"Louis you're back. How was Prague?" Blair smiled as she asked

"It was nothing but work and meetings…which in our line is complete fun" Louis told her "Are you busy with something?" he asked

"No, I was just taking a phone call that didn't end the way I wanted it to" Blair told him

"Oh, how so?" Louis asked

"It's okay, I'm just being dramatic" Blair replied "I don't want to use valuable work time to talk about something that is best to forget" she smiled

"If you're having problems, I hardly doubt they'll be easy to forget" Louis told her

"Trust me, I want to on this one" Blair said

"Well if you can manage then I won't poke or prod…" Louis began to say

"Do you think it's normal for people to just change their lives just to suit another person?" Blair asked "I mean I have this newly entered sibling…" she began to say

"Tyler" Louis said

"How do you know?" Blair asked

"I kind of saw the whole TMZ piece. The party looked nice" Louis smiled

"Oh, I forgot about that tiny evasive aspect of that night" Blair said as she wanted to block out memories of that night "I don't trust him" she then revealed "I mean there's this book out, the whole Insider that we went looking for and my gut tells me that he wrote this book but then my boyfriend admits to writing it" she said

"What do you feel in your gut?" Louis asked

"I want it to be Tyler because then all of this will make sense. All of my feelings about this guy, who shows up and now all of sudden has invaded my life in every form possible. I want it to be him so I can show my parents that he's not the child that they gave birth to" Blair said "I know that sounds crazy" she sighed as she could saw Louis looking at her for a moment while he tried to think of what to say

"It doesn't sound crazy, it sounds…genuine" Louis told her

"Eleanor Waldorf, she's the be all to end all in this….people fail to realize that she's a hard woman to appease" Blair told him

"I can see that. I mean I've had my own troubles in the parenting department with my own" Louis told her

"Love for her is not easy to come by and I had to work hard to achieve it…so I guess maybe my dislike of Tyler is because…I don't want to share my mother. I typically would like, okay maybe not typically, rarely would be more of the word I would use but not her. I see the way it hurts her, I see the way she smiles after a twenty minute talk with him that just existed of nothing…I just wish that she did the same for me" Blair revealed and before she knew it, Blair was surprised that she had shared such information with Louis when she could barely even acknowledge it herself

"And that is why I trust your judgment. No one ever does anything without reason behind it, and I think that once you deal with that reasoning than maybe you can come up with your solution of how to deal with Tyler" Louis told her "So though I'm not privy to scheming or use it for my own gain too often, I say…go for it. Get whatever information you need to get on Tyler" Louis told her which seemed to shock her

"What? Come again?" Blair asked with a bit of a laugh as she couldn't believe what he was saying

"I happen to think you have a good gut feeling because only you could've talked me out of wearing that salmon tie, which was a good call because that very tie ended up on the worst items list in fashion week overseas, but I trust your judgment because something about you seems to know the keen things that most people don't see" Louis told her

"So you think it's okay to snoop around and get my evidence to burry him once and for all?" Blair asked waiting for the green light to get in Queen Bee mode once more

"You've got to learn how to claw your way into getting what you want around here, why not get a little practice with the family" Louis smiled at her

"Oh, I completely forgot. What did you need?" Blair asked

"I just wanted to know if you would help me on the selection process for the St. Bart's shoot I'm doing" Louis said

"St. Bart's?" Blair asked

"I dabble in photography and I managed to get a photo shoot inked into my contract. So I'm thinking bathing suits and women fashion for this shoot" Louis told her

"Only makes sense" Blair smiled "Yes, I'd love to work with you" she said

"Oh, and to give you more incentive for this. The Madame pays great attention to the assistant help on photo shoots, so if we do good…" Louis began to say

"Then I do good in her eyes" Blair smiled with excitement before she quickly wrapped her arms around him for a hug "Thank you so much" she squealed with happiness as she completely forgot that they were in the office setting. "I'm so sorry" she said as she broke off her embrace of him

"It's okay, but good luck on your whole evidence finding thing against you brother" Louis said as he began to walk away as Blair went the opposite direction. Pulling out her cell phone, Blair immediately went into scheming mode as she dialed up her most capable of minions.

"Hello" Penelope answered

"I need your connections with that security guard" Blair said as she walked towards the mail room

"For what? I barely talk to him after that whole incident with that woman" Penelope scoffed

"You mean his wife?" Blair questioned "I need to give everyone the big picture on Tyler" she said

"And how are you going to do that?" Penelope asked

"By proving he wrote Insider and not Carter" Blair stated

* * *

Looking herself over in the mirror, Serena felt as if she had found the right outfit for the night. She didn't have to make any appearances tonight, so she looked forward to just spending time with Jason as she didn't want to give Jason anymore cause for concern with all these appearances. Serena loved that she had made a career out her name but she didn't want it to have an effect on her relationship because she was just glad that Jason saw the real her and went beyond the whole Serena van der Woodsen appeal. Hearing a knock come to the door, Serena quickly sprayed herself with perfume before rushing to go answer the door. Opening the door, Serena was a bit surprised to see Sean standing on the other side.

"Sean, what are you doing here?" Serena asked

"Trust me, I had a date that I had planned on going to but Jason needed me to take you out to that new restaurant" Sean told her with no enthusiasm whatsoever in his voice

"So he sends you, why?" Serena asked

"Do we really need to get in to the why? I mean my pride has all ready been slashed into pieces with only minimal hope of ever seeing the floor" Sean told her

"Well I'm sorry but I didn't exactly expect to spend my night with you, no offense" Serena told him

"None taken because to be honest, I really wanted to spend my night with a girl that is way out of my league but yet fit's the Kobe Bryant image I'm striving to achieve" Sean said

"So if she's not in your league then why date her?" Serena questioned

"I'm a basketball player, half the girls we date are never in our league" Sean quickly replied "Look I know the circumstances suck, but we need to go out so the photo hounds can get us pictured together and that way I don't get my ass kicked" he said

"And there's no possible way Jason can show up?" Serena asked once more

"If he was then I wouldn't be here. So please let's go because I'm starving" Sean told her as he began to rub his stomach

"Okay, okay" Serena said as she grabbed her purse and keys

"Don't forget your wallet, I may want to be Kobe but I ain't got Kobe money yet" Sean told her

* * *

Hearing the final ding of the elevator, Tyler looked on at the thousands of e-mails he had coming his way within the span of minutes. If there was anything that Tyler knew it was that the news never slept because there was always a story to be told out there. Making his way through the lobby, Tyler made a mental note to himself to grab a cup of coffee because he was sure that he would be in for a long night. Wanting to stop by his apartment real quick to grab a nap for his all nighter that he was preparing for, Tyler made his way out towards the street to get a taxi before Carter made his way up to him. Looking over to see the presence, Tyler sighed in frustration as he knew this would only lead to another high school problem that he wasn't prepared to deal with at the moment.

"Go away" Tyler replied as he continued to go through his e-mails

"First, I need to know if it's true…did you kill anyone?" Carter asked as Tyler looked up from his phone to give Carter a look of disbelief

"Go to hell" Tyler replied before he took a step forward to get away from Carter

"Okay, I believe you" Carter said "What is with the war with Blair? And since when were you two siblings?" he questioned

"I choose to not discuss unpleasant things, so why don't you ask the real question you came for" Tyler told him

"That was the real question…well not really but it was a lead in to the main question. Did you have a hidden agenda with this book? I mean is there any possible way that you got this book to stick it to your family" Carter asked

"My family….my family is dead" Tyler told him "Eleanor is my mother but I have no intention of going after her, even as a reporter" he told him "My sister on the other hand, she could be fair game with the right story" he said

"Good, so you openly admit the whole she's my sister thing" Carter told him "So what's with the war? Why would Blair even go after you?" he asked

"Because she thinks that I wrote Insider" Tyler sighed

"Why would she think that?" Carter questioned

"Because she's crazy and diluted on top of being deranged" Tyler replied as Carter took a moment to think

"And to all of those accusations, I don't think I could refute any of them" Carter said "But that's a problem" he then said

"How? You wanted the blame shifted away from Dan. Blair may be the only one thinking that I wrote it but the cover clearly states that you did, so mission accomplished. Dan is protected" Tyler said

"Yes, but I don't want her thinking I didn't write it because believe me, the last thing I want is Blair Waldorf breathing down my neck" Carter said

"Is everyone usually this afraid of her? I mean what's the whole fear Blair stigmatism?" Tyler asked

"Did you not see the TMZ video?" Carter asked "She found information on you that I don't even think a months worth of us even hanging out would've accomplished" he said

"Look, I have no secrets. I don't walk around hoping that people won't dig in to my past. I don't share it because it's my business and no one else's" Tyler told him "Maybe you guys should start living by that creed that way TMZ will serve as useless to the social media world" he said

"While I appreciate that encouraging bit of information from my elders, I take it you're still pursuing the Archibald prostitution story. I'm interested in that because I never would've put that together" Carter laughed

"And I'm about to" Tyler said "Blair can come after me with guns blazing because at the end of the day, I'm still a journalist" he said

"A journalist in the Upper Eastside, things should get interesting" Carter laughed as a taxi pulled up in front of them

"You did good, may not have been a route I would've taken but I have a best friend….protecting friends is either something someone can do or can't do. You may amongst the rare trust fund kids that I think has potential" Tyler told him as he put his phone away in his pocket

"I wouldn't say that, I'm bound to be your next subject in your article" Carter said

"Maybe, but as long as you know your own truths then what people write or say shouldn't matter" Tyler said before he got in the taxi. Taking a moment to access what Tyler had just told him, Carter couldn't help but wonder if he did know his own truth. Carter liked to think that he was an open book and didn't subject himself to be a trust fund kid, but Carter began to realize that his own truths was something he had yet to face entirely.

**_Meanwhile…_**

Watching Carter walk off, Penelope quickly popped her head from the bushes. Pulling her cell phone out, Penelope immediately sent a text to her back up. Shaking her head at the stupidity of her minions, Blair immediately pulled her phone out so that she could stop the stupidity from continuing.

"Hello" Penelope answered

"Stop wasting time and get me what I need. This isn't Black Hawk Down, this is like watching Brain Cells Going Down" Blair scolded her before she ended the call. Coming out of the bushes, Penelope adjusted her coat before she headed inside the building to see her security guard that she knew.

* * *

Calling out from work, Dan didn't feel the need to be surrounded by robotic Bart's. Not caring too much about his wardrobe or anything, Dan walked around in his boxers just chowing down on left over food that they had in the fridge. If he had to admit it, Dan would've preferred this life because then at least there was no room for failure. All he ever did these past couple month was reach disappointment after disappointment until he finally just felt like he couldn't get any where lower than what he all ready was. Opening the drawer in the kitchen, Dan looked on at the engagement ring as it began to taunt him more than anything. Standing, looking at the ring for longer than he had anticipated, Dan quickly closed the drawer once more before he reached into the fridge to grab a beer out. It was barely even ten o'clock but Dan knew that if he was truly going to get his mind off of everything then he had to have this beer. Heading back towards his sofa, Dan heard a knock come to the door. Groaning in frustration as he didn't want to be bothered, Dan heard another knock come to the door before he eventually walked over to answer the door. Surprised to see Bart standing on the other side, Dan sighed in frustration.

"Good morning" Bart told him "May I come in?" he then asked

"Why are you here?" Dan asked "Not to be rude" he then added for clarification

"You called out for work…that's unlike you" Bart told him simply

"Yes, that's unlike me" Dan replied sarcastically to himself before he opened up the door wide enough for Bart to enter

"Aw, girl troubles" Bart said as he walked in to notice the sofa made up like a bed

"How do you know?" Dan asked as he closed the door behind him

"The sofa is turned in to a make shift bed" Bart laughed "What'd you do?" he asked

"I went against her" Dan groaned as he walked over towards the bar stools to finish up his beer "Never go against a Waldorf is the only piece of advice that I've had yet to fully comprehend" he asked

"So you call out of work because of girl problems? I'm not sure how I'm suppose to view that as your employer" Bart said as he tried to show off his dry sense of humor as Dan wasn't quite sure how to reply to that

"Things are different, this girl problem will lead to an even more bigger problem" Dan sighed "So I called out because I needed to be the coward that I am and come up with some sort of plan to rectify things" he said

"How bad is it?" Bart asked

"It's bad" Dan told him "And seeing as I have completely wrecked every bit of my future, I want to preserve one aspect of my life that I can manage" he said "I can still be a good guy, even when right now I just feel so angry and mad…there's always an apology that I owe or should owe someone but I'm just mad" he told him in a moment of honesty

"Why do you think you're mad?" Bart asked as he was unsure of how these deep talks were supposed to go

"I don't know. I mean I know but I don't want to admit that because I'm afraid of saying something, the truth even, I'm afraid that it will be my worst my fear coming to life" Dan said

"What did you do?" Bart asked as a silence came between them

"I wrote the book…I'm the author of the tell all book about the Upper Eastside. I'm the Insider" Dan admitted

"I see" Bart said as he shook his head not wanting to show any emotion towards the revelation "Does Blair know?" he asked

"Yeah, I told her this morning but she didn't believe me. She thinks that I'm trying to protect Tyler because we're some sort of buddies now…but in honesty, protecting him would be the last thing I'd want to do because deep down, I think I don't like him" Dan said "And that…that's the beer talking" he laughed to himself after the statement

"Maybe you should stop drinking" Bart suggest "Clarity never comes with alcohol" he stated

"No, it doesn't but it just fits. You know in movies when the guy is waiting for his overall doom, he just drinks. He drinks and thinks, think and drink, that's all he does. So now I'm waiting for it all to finally blow up" Dan said

"Okay, you have me a bit worried here because you sound like you want it all to go, you want to lose the people you care about?" Bart questioned

"I don't want it, but it happens" Dan said "People always leave…it was just suppose to be about challenging my beliefs, but it just became my diary of thoughts, words I wished I said and now it's….it's the only truth I know of myself" he said "The only time I was honest was when I was writing that book, and now it's on display for the world to see. So any time I admit and become honest about any feeling I may have, people always leave" he said as Bart just looked at him. Unbuttoning the his dress jacket, Bart walked over towards the fridge and grabbed two beers before he walked over towards Dan to hand him one.

"Here" Bart said as Dan took the beer

"It's ten thirty in the morning" Dan told him

"I know, but doom is coming…might as well say fuck it" Bart told him as he took a seat on the bar stool and opened up his beer. Looking on at Bart in surprise, Dan never pictured Bart to say that crude of a word but it was refreshing to hear in the moment.

* * *

Pacing the floor, Blair couldn't help but feel bored as she had to endure Hazel shamelessly flirting with technical assistant they had managed to snag from Kinkos. With minimum knowledge, Penelope was fed instructions from Nelly Yuki through Bluetooth while they managed to snag all of Tyler's program files along with a USB he had in his desk. It was a dangerous mission that if they got caught, Blair was all ready preparing her statement she would give to the press that had peer pressure at the topic of her plea for self pity as she could only see this latest stunt making her fall into the category of Lindsay Lohan hand status with a mixture of a high tech Wynona Rider. Set up at Penelope's penthouse, Blair found herself passing the time with collecting memory of what she should bring to Penelope's attention as horrible décor before her cell phone went off. Pulling her phone out, Blair was more than happy to see that it was Serena calling.

"Oh thank God you called" Blair exclaimed as she answered "Tell me anything and everything, I have no bounds of what I want to hear" she said to her friend

"Okay, I appreciate that…what's going on?" Serena asked a bit distracted from her own situation to defer to Blair's

"I'm doing a bit of investigative work" Blair reluctantly admitted

"B, are you going after Tyler again?" Serena asked with a bit of disappointment

"I'm not going after him, I'm revealing him" Blair quickly replied

"I thought you revealed him last week with the whole TMZ video that is on loop" Serena said "That was beyond cruel and hard to explain to newcomers" she said

"Newcomers? Who's new?" Blair asked as she took a moment to think to herself "Wait, are you referring to Tyler's friend…that Sean guy?" she asked

"Yes" Serena replied "It's a long story but yes, Sean is kind of my escort or whatever…that's what I needed to talk to you about" she said

"Do explain?" Blair asked enthusiastic to hear about someone else

"Jason cancelled our plans and sent Sean to be my date. I have a right to be mad, don't I?" Serena asked

"Yes, you have a right to be mad and charge every bit of jewelry he can afford. Is he like pimping you out now to this Sean guy?" Blair

"No, he just feels more comfortable knowing that Sean is with me" Serena replied "Sean is nice, don't get me wrong but he's not my boyfriend, and I want to spend time with my boyfriend" she said

"I completely understand. Maybe Jason is afraid of the oncoming media attention you two will get. I mean you're Serena van der Woodsen and he's Jason Peters, you two are bound to be a media frenzy" Blair told her

"I can understand why he'd be weary but that doesn't mean he should just avoid me all together" Serena said "He comes over and we hang out, we go out occasionally in public together but the recent thing is Sean being my escort…I have two guys and I don't want it" she said

"That's a first, even for you" Blair laughed "Look, just talk to Jason and explain that you will not be escorted anymore and then make hot passionate love and all that other stuff" she added

"Yeah, yeah. I'll talk to you later because I'm sure you've received the letter all ready but Cotillion is near" Serena smiled

"Don't remind me, it's yet another thing I have to stress over" Blair sighed before Penelope waived for her to come over "I'll talk to you later but give me updates on what happens with Jason" she said quickly before she ended the call. "You don't need to wave like a crazed woman" she said as she walked over "What is it? What did you find?" she asked

"Your brother…" The guy began to say

"Tyler. Let's not use sibling ties" Blair quickly corrected

"Okay, Tyler uploaded the story on to this lap top. The document along with another was sent to a print command" The guy said

"So he had this story all ready written?" Blair asked with hopeful eyes

"I ran a registration check on the USB to see if it was in any brand databases and this particular USB, it was registered to someone else other than Tyler" The guy said

"But he had the story, he printed the story?" Blair questioned "How this story got from point A to B is good, but along the line it went from B to C" she said

"But don't you understand what he's saying?" Nelly Yuki asked "The original copy of this book or document was created on this USB" she said

"Which means that the owner of this USB created the document" The guy said as he held up the USB so that Blair could see "Do you want to know who it is?" he asked as Blair stood still for a moment as the crashing realization came upon her. Looking from each minion to the next, Blair could hear her heartbeat racing a thousand miles per minute as she was stuck with discovering the truth.

* * *

Making her way through the lobby with her hat dipped low, Serena wanted to do the best she could without being spotted by any media sources. For the most part her plan was working as Jason's security guard gave her no hassles as she made her way over towards the penthouse elevators. Jason had no clue of her arrival as she couldn't wait another minute on not talking him. Once she found out that his schedule was clear for the day through his publicist, Serena made a quick bee line to his penthouse. Stepping on to the elevator, Serena tapped her feet eagerly as she couldn't wait to see him and hash out what was bugging her. Serena hoped that he could ease her concerns with his usual charm that she fell for without a moments worth of thought. Stepping off the elevator, Serena passed the team owner and exchanged simple pleasantries as he was more than aware that she was seeing Jason. Attempting to knock on the door, Serena saw that the door was open with a bit of a crack. Making her way in to the penthouse, Serena spotted Jason pouring himself a glass of scotch.

"Are you alone?" Serena asked as he looked up to see that it was her but showed no enthusiasm to see her

"What are you doing here?" Jason asked

"I wanted to come by and talk to you about some thing that was bugging me" Serena said as she closed the door "But are we alone?" she asked once more

"Yeah" Jason replied as he walked over to flop down on his chair to show his depressing expression

"Okay, I've been thinking about this whole Sean thing, I get where you're coming from but pictures are taken all the time that are misconstrued to be something that it isn't. I want to be in this relationship and you have to trust me when I say that I would never do any thing to jeopardize that. So I want you to stop with the Sean escorting me everywhere thing and just trust me" Serena babbled while Sean just sat there. A moment of silence came between them as Serena saw no real emotion come from Jason to know where his head was at. In one swift motion, Jason finished up his drink before he threw the glass at Serena. Lucky enough to dodge the glass being thrown at her, Serena heard the glass shatter behind her as all she could do was look on in shock with his action.

"Don't you ever tell me what to do…" Jason told her

"I wasn't…" Serena began to reason

"Shut up!" Jason yelled to interrupted "I'm talking, not you. So shut the fuck up and listen when I'm talking to you. I don't trust you and I won't trust you as long as you sashay around town acting like a slut. You will do as I say and there's no if and's or buts about it" he told her in the coldest of voices as his eyes seemed to black out with anger. Rising from his seat, Serena slowly rose to her feet as she became nervous with every step he took towards her "Clean this shit up and then get the hell out" he told her before he walked off down the hall. Standing amongst the broken pieces of glass, Serena began to tremble as the shock overwhelmed her body.

* * *

Sitting at her vanity, Blair looked at her reflection in the mirror as if she was trying to detect the change that she felt in herself. Hearing the sound of the elevator come from downstairs, Blair reached over to grab the disk and USB before she slowly rose to her to feet. Making her way to the top of the staircase, Blair looked down to see that he stood in the foyer with a calmness on his face as no trace of anger came over him about her actions. Heading down the stairs, Tyler turned his attention towards her dissension as she really tried to stay in the royal mode at every aspect of her day. Walking towards him, Blair put the disk and USB on the table between them as all he could do was look at the very items that she took from him because she could. Silence came between them for the longest as Blair stood with folded arms waiting for him to finally break the silence.

"When I was a kid, I would always dream of having a sibling. I remember thinking that was something I could wish for at Christmas like a toy or something. My parents of course weren't some baby snatchers, but they always told me that I was just meant to be their only pride and joy. I laughed because I thought that was the lamest of excuses, but now I see that's another reason why I'm thankful to my parents because now I'm glad that it is a wish that never got granted" Tyler told her

"I really don't care what you think of me because it wasn't like I wished for you either" Blair said "You were there mistake, I was their wish come true" she stated "I hate to be harsh…" she began to say

"No, I think you mean to be. I just never thought you'd be such a bitch" Tyler laughed "So you got my files, did you find anything scandalous about me? Do you know where I hid the bodies or how many other people I've added to kill count?" he questioned her sarcastically

"I don't trust you, and sooner or later everyone will see that all you are is another person trying to get a quick pay day off of Eleanor" Blair told her

"You mean my mother. She's my mother just like Harold is my father" Tyler told her

"So now you claim them as your parents, what happened to that touching story you just told me, in which you were glad your parents never gave you a sibling" Blair said

"I was fortunate to have two sets, though from what I read…you struggled with the affection of one" Tyler said "Imagine that, little miss princess wasn't the apple of the eye by our parents like she perceives for it to be" he said

"Get a grip, The Upper Eastside doesn't breed coddlers, you grow up quick or else you'll be swallowed alive. I see it as preparation for the real world as dealing with snakes like you have become mere childs play at this point" Blair said "I got access to your laptop without even having to steal it. If it's that easy now, imagine how easy it will be for me to destroy you piece by piece" she said

"God, when are you going to get it! This isn't one big game, this is life. You can't just scheme and make people go away because it doesn't work like that. If the person is that weak, then yes, they go away….but me, I'm not going anywhere" Tyler exclaimed "I came to get to know my birth parents and I intend to do that now" he said

"Like hell you will" Blair replied

"And who's going to stop me?" Tyler asked "I'm in your life. I'm in your world whether you like it or not" he said "I may not have the silver spoon but I can damn sure get it now that I've been thrusted into my role as a Waldorf" he said

"That is something you will never be" Blair told him "It's not something you can just jump up and be because you want to spite me. This family carries weight in this town, our name means something…our parents mean something to this select group of elitist" she said "You will never belong and you're kidding yourself if you think you can" she told him

"Maybe I won't but you're not the judge and jury of this region of New York. Grow up and stop acting like some spoiled little princess" Tyler told her as she clenched her fists together as she felt the anger inside of her boil

"I can honestly say with no regret that I hate you" Blair told him before he leaned forward to grab his disk before he slid the USB towards Blair "You and I both know that it doesn't belong to me. I assume that you'll return that to it's rightful owner" he told her as she just glared at him

"Get out" Blair said through gritted teeth before Tyler turned to head towards the elevator.

"He was right about you. What he wrote was the truth and that's his job as a writer…capture the truth regardless of who it effects" Tyler said

"Go!" Blair screamed before the elevator doors opened

"See you around sis" Tyler told her before he stepped on to the elevator

* * *

Looking on at his reflection in the mirror after wiping the mirror free of mist, Dan took a deep breath as he reached over to turn out the lights in the bathroom. It was late into the night and Blair still hadn't managed to come home, Dan had called and left messages but she hadn't made any contact back with him. Taking it as a sign of another late night at the office, Dan didn't bother with hounding her as he just assumed that he would see her when he would see her. Making his way down the hallway, Dan walked over towars his make shift bed as he knew that the last thing Blair probably wanted to see was him in the bed. Tossing the covers back on the sofa, Dan sighed as he ran his hand through his hair as he knew he had a long night ahead of him. Just as he took a seat on the sofa, Dan heard the door open up as he could see her walking through. Blair's motions were robotic to the sense where he couldn't tell if that was really her by how she was acting. It was only until she began to walk towards him with her coat still on that he was able to identify her as his girlfriend. Sitting on the edge of the coffee table across from Dan, Blair looked at him for a moment before she pulled out the USB from her pocket.

"I believe this belongs to you" Blair told him as he just eyed the USB for a moment before he looked over at her. Showing no bit of emotion, Dan ran through the millions of things he had narrowed down to say but found that it wasn't coming as easy as it was to think it up. Just as he prepared to speak, Blair quickly slapped him across the face while all she could do was look on at him with such anger and hurt.

* * *

**Blair Waldorf Excerpt (Final Chapter)**

**A queen is something to admire. A queen is strong and puts her country above every thing else, even at the risk of her own self. What people fail to realize that a queen is destined to be alone because no man can come close to her heart that is given to her country. It's taken me some time to come to this realization but I see that she stands alone in every aspect that would make us any bit of equals. Her wishes and desires are granted by her forces and nasty tenacity to get her way. I have fallen for the girl but wonder if the woman is someone that can love the likes of a pauper in her royal story. Her darkness is something that can scare me to the core because of her ability to move on with ease and grace following, which leaves me troubled and concerned. She possesses control as if she fears relinquishing it. It's her strongest attribute but at times it's her scariest trait because I know unlike few that she will do anything to get what she wants. At many times she has flirted with her role as the queen but it's the power that she possesses that let me know it's her ultimate temptation that she will someday claim as her rise to being the queen. She needs nothing and no one, which I've come to realize.**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter**

**Rihanna- California King Bed**

**Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter as it was a bit intense. If you haven't read, but Serena will be involved in an abuse storyline. I don't want to give away too much, but I just wanted to tackle the issue that GG seems to glamorize because that's been my biggest pet peeve. So I hope to hear from you guys and thank you for reading.**


	11. The Hurt Locket

**Author's Note: Thank you. Thank you. That's all I can really say because you guys have made They Shoot Waldorf's, Don't They my highest reviewed chapter. I greatly appreciate it and I hope that I can keep you all readers to make 15 reviews a regular thing. I said that 10 reviews would get an update quicker, so here you go. These reviews are tearing me away from my other stories, darn you guys. Jk. Thank you once again, and I greatly appreciate all the kind words and the involvement you have to this story. If you're frustrated with characters and anxious, I know that I'm getting the right emotion out of you so keep voicing your opinion because I view every review as important to me as a writer. **

**An important thing you need to know about this chapter is that you need to know the bold and italic Eleanor parts are her interview with Tyler, so it's just added commentary to the story that I wanted to pull on to help narrate the story and the emotion of what's going on. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to hearing from you guys.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Ten- The Hurt Locket**

* * *

_**Taking a seat across from her, he pulled out his pen and paper as he prepared his pad for the notes he'd take. It had become routine for them, but he found that with each question he'd ask each week he'd become more intrigued with the woman. Sipping on her cup of tea as if she was royalty, she talked softly with her assistant as she delegated demands in the nicest of ways. Closing the door once they were left alone, she walked over at to her seat across from him. For a moment he could recognize that he made her nervous as if she feared that at any moment he could leave. He enjoyed that he made her nervous because he felt like some bit of power had come to him. Realizing that he had to start this interview, he pressed down on his pen so that it was ready for use.**_

_**Tyler: What has been your experience in the fashion industry? And how has it's proceedings show itself in your life?**_

_**Eleanor: **__**I would say that as a woman in this industry it's easy to be replaced. You become like the clothes you create, you make the hottest trend but then you're easily replaced by the next season. It's rare to come in and leave your mark without stepping on toes or sacrificing. Love becomes something that is an accessory because you're going from here to there at a drop of dime. There is little room to have that true authentic communication that is needed to make a relationship grow. Words become statements that leave lasting impressions that we may or may not want, actions become your words. It just becomes a mess that needs constant cleaning and sometimes you just get tired of cleaning it up. **_

Blair's motions were robotic to the sense where he couldn't tell if that was really her by how she was acting. It was only until she began to walk towards him with her coat still on that he was able to identify her as his girlfriend. Sitting on the edge of the coffee table across from Dan, Blair looked at him for a moment before she pulled out the USB from her pocket.

"I believe this belongs to you" Blair told him as he just eyed the USB for a moment before he looked over at her. Showing no bit of emotion, Dan ran through the millions of things he had narrowed down to say but found that it wasn't coming as easy as it was to think it up. Just as he prepared to speak, Blair quickly slapped him across the face while all she could do was look on at him with such anger and hurt.

"Blair…" Dan began to say after they looked at each other in complete deafening silence

"Save it" Blair said sternly before she rose from where she sat and headed back towards the bedroom.

_**If you're lucky, you'll have someone that's willing to put in the time to organize the mess and get to the prized possession. Get to the core of the madness that is your life and makes you become comfortable with the stillness of a moment. You treasure those moments because they're few but they last longer because those are the moments that are real. You're happy and you're afraid because you've gained fullness but you also begin to fear the loss. **_

Rolling over on to her side, Jenny did her best to drift off to sleep but found it was harder to do so than normal. Laying on her back, Jenny took a few deep breaths before she eventually felt the need to hurl. Quickly getting up from the bed, Jenny made her way into the bathroom as she barely was able to close the door behind her before she began to throw up into the toilet. Waiting until she was finished, Jenny felt her stomach go through flips as it just tried to settle but had trouble in doing so. Slowly walking over towards the sink, Jenny splashed some water in her face before she look up at her reflection. Hearing the door open, Jenny quickly turned around to see Chuck standing there still a bit half asleep.

"I told you that Chinese food smelled horrible" Chuck replied sleepily as he walked over towards the toilet "And apparently you forgot to flush it" he said as the smell of her throw up seemed to wake him up a bit

"Yeah, you were right about the food" Jenny smiled weakly as Chuck flushed the toilet before he lifted the toilet seat up so that he could pee.

_**It's a constant struggle to have the balance because it's so easy to lose control, but that's what makes a few select people in this industry become more than trends…they find the balance, they know who they are, they know what works and what needs to be changed, they know how to correct. You have to know how to correct yourself because you can be your own enemy in this business, let alone this world.**_

Looking on at the people that came in and took their seats, Carter shifted his leg nervously as all he could do was wait for the clock to strike on six. Carter had wanted to start off the day early so that he could avoid running in to anyone, but it was being alone in this room that made him want to run from himself. He looked on at those coming in and he would judge them and critique them to himself. Most of his critiques were harsh but that was for his own benefit rather than the actual truth. Holding his brochure in his hand, Carter opened it up once more to read the lines that stuck out to him, "This meeting is for those with gambling problem or gambling addiction" he read to himself before he folded up the brochure once more.

_**Then as you make it through the golden ages that is your career, where people begin to appreciate you and recognize all that you've done. You step back and look at the struggles, you look at the late nights of work, the flying from here and there, the missed moments, the hugs that you should've given or the kisses you should've gave, those all start to add up in the end and you just hope that it evens out to be a good life, a fulfilled life. That's the struggle in this industry as a woman, life, because it happens with or without you being ready and only few become icons in it**__._

Standing in front of the mirror, Eleanor applied her make up before she finally came to her conclusion that she had enough on her face to where it was becoming clown like. Reaching out to grab her brush, Eleanor saw that her hand was trembling. Stopping for a moment to compose herself, Eleanor looked up at her reflection once more before she reached over to turn the lights of in the bathroom. Making her way into her nicely organized bedroom, Eleanor moved about with such grace which was strange since she was so used to scurrying about like a mad woman. Today was different though, today was a day that she wanted to prolong as much as possible.

* * *

**[Cotillion Week- One Week Later]**

Observing the madness that was Cotillion practice, Blair and Serena couldn't help but sit and laugh as they couldn't imagine it being this crazy. The girls had been called in as advisors for the young debutants for mere publicity reasons but Blair welcomed any distraction that would keep her away from the house. On occasion Blair and Serena would find themselves swallowed up with questions from the new debutants about the process and personal Gossip Girl questions that they both basically ignored. In some cases they had become rockstar advisors, where they were the envy of the debs more than advisors. Once the practice went into the thirty minute break, Serena and Blair didn't waste any time in escaping as they went to the main hall where the Cotillion was to be held. Looking on at the set up crew, the girls took a seat at an available table. On occasion, Blair would look over at Dan helping out, a part of her wanted to think that he signed up to hang around her but she knew that he had accidentally signed up when he was working for her mother.

"Are you trying to initiate eye sex?" Serena asked as she looked over at Blair eyeing Dan

"What? No" Blair replied quickly as she looked over at Serena "Trust me, eye sex is not what's happening" she added

"It's okay, you two clearly have a certain chemistry, it's understandable that you'd want to escape in to the nearest broom closet" Serena teased

"Broom closet I think not" Blair laughed "Besides, should you be telling me about your make up romps? How did Jason handle the talk?" she asked as Serena became nervous at the thought of how it all went down

"It went good" Serena answered after a moment of thought

"Define good?" Blair asked "I mean did you get a new pair of earrings, Dooney and Bourke, or did he give you diamond anything?" she asked with a smile from ear to ear with the possibilities

"No, we just talked. He was supportive and he explained why he did what he did…which is understandable because he has all these pressures on him with the playoffs looming" Serena quickly explained

"Okay but it still doesn't mean he can sub in guys for you" Blair reasoned

"B, imagine how you feel around S.A.T. week?" Serena asked as Blair took a moment to think "It was like menstrual cycle on steroids that week with you. Well that's how it is for him right now" she told her

"All right, all right. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt seeing as he isn't that bad to look at" Blair laughed as Serena hit her playfully on the arm before they were soon joined by Louis.

"I knew that laugh sounded familiar" Louis said making his presence known before Blair quickly straightened up as did Serena

"Louis, what are you doing here?" Blair asked

"We cover the Cotillion, Bex wanted this gig but I managed to draw the unlucky straw" Louis replied as he laughed

"Uh, Serena this is Louis, we work together. Louis, this is Serena, my best friend" Blair introduced as Louis extended his hand to shake Serena's hand

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Louis smiled "So have you had a time to go over the list?" he turned to ask Blair

"Yes, and no" Blair laughed "I'm sorry but the girls selected are a bit drab for the shoot, they don't scream St. Bart's feel" she told him as Louis just laughed as it was obvious that they had a certain like to each other that Dan couldn't help but notice from a far as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Well I'll need to have the list or else you'll have to come up with some alternatives for me" Louis told her

"I'm prepared to do that" Blair smiled as Dan walked up to bring a tension filled vibe to the table that Serena couldn't help but notice suddenly.

"Hey" Dan said his eyes drifted over towards Louis before he leaned in to kiss Blair on the cheek

"Hey" Louis answered awkwardly "Well come to me when you get the list or alternative because we really need to move forward with the project. I've got a flight booked in two days to scout locations out there" he told her before he turned to walk away

"What was that?" Dan asked as he looked over at Blair which made Serena feel as if she was the third wheel to the group

"I have to call Jason to check in, I'll talk with you guys later" Serena said as she excused herself

"Who was that?" Dan asked

"Nothing, he's someone I work with" Blair said as Dan took a seat beside her "You didn't need to do the whole kiss in front of everyone, everyone knows we're together" she told him

"That's not what that was. It was me kissing my girlfriend, which I am still allowed to do, right?" Dan questioned

"As of late, not so much…I'm afraid you might write that in your little diary later on" Blair said as she got up from her seat

"Are we going to talk?" Dan asked as she prepared to leave

"I'm busy" Blair replied as she walked away leaving Dan sitting at the table as all he could do was just wonder what it would take to break the cold silence he had going in his relationship in the current state.

* * *

Unable to avoid Cotillion duties, Chuck held his suit in hand that Jenny had picked out for him two weeks ago since she had all ready confirmed that they would be attending. Chuck was never into the Cotillion scene but he knew that Jenny had romanticized this event in her mind so that she could probably see them having a romantic evening together and with work picking up, Chuck wanted nothing more than to grant his wife that very wish. Making his way into the apartment, Chuck put his suit on the arm of the sofa before he tossed his keys on to the table. Walking over towards the kitchen counter to look on at the bills, Chuck sighed as he hated that what used to be his father's routine was now his. Coming out of the bedroom, Jenny walked out slowly as if she had seen a zombie of some sort but she tried to fake like she was okay for the sake of Chuck.

"Hey" Chuck said as he walked over to wrap her up into a hug and a kiss

"How was your day?" Jenny asked after she broke the kiss

"It was good. I know it's going to be better now that you know that it's official….we're going to Cotillion" Chuck said as he leaned over to hold up his suit to show her

"You got it" Jenny smiled weakly "Were the measurements correct?" she asked

"On target. You know me well, even in the lower areas" Chuck smiled before he kissed the side of her cheek "So if you need to run and do errands, I do request that you take it easy on me and allow me to partake in a game of poker with Nate and some vendor he's trying to land…I guarantee that it will be an hour tops" he told her

"I have to tell you something" Jenny said as she lead him over towards the sofa so that they could seat

"Okay, I will just call Nate and cancel plans. We could stay in and do the whole tv thing" Chuck said as he began to backtrack on his plans

"It has nothing to do with you or Nate, well you….I came home early from school today" Jenny told him

"Why?" Chuck asked

"Because I've been sick, and I'm talking more than Chinese food sick" Jenny told him nervously as she gripped on tight to his hand

"So we'll just take a trip to the pharmacy and get medicine or something…that is what you need, right?" Chuck asked as he looked at her with concern

"I've gone to the pharmacy for this particular sickness, but I think now is the time we both go to the doctors" Jenny said as a silence came between them while Chuck had no clue as to what she was talking about "I took a pregnancy test and…it was positive" she told him as Chuck's expression changed to shock

"Pregnant? How…" Chuck began to say

"I think sex is how, and us not using protection" Jenny told him as she lowered her head

"I know, I'm sorry that was stupid" Chuck told her as he noticed that she had lowered her head "Are you okay?" he asked

"I just…I just really want to go to the doctors" Jenny cried "Can you please just take me?" she asked through the tears

"Of course. I'll take you" Chuck told her before he leaned in to hug her

* * *

Making his way out of the dress shop, Dan looked on at his suit one last time as he wanted to make sure that it matched the color of Blair's dress. Forgetting that he left his wallet inside the shop, Dan quickly headed back inside to get it at frantic pace. Finding his wallet, Dan breathed a sigh of relief as it would've been all he needed to have an official horrible day if he had lost his wallet. Carrying his suit over his shoulder, Dan looked on at his schedule that he had to look forward to when he returned to work come Monday. Opening up his e-mail, Dan grimaced in dislike as he hated to see Richard was on his schedule to meet with, Dan could only curse to himself as there was nothing he could do about it. Bumping into a woman as he hadn't paid attention to where he was going, Dan looked up to see that it was Blair's boss, Bex that he had ran into.

"I'm so sorry…Bex, is it?" Dan asked as he immediately apologized

"Yes, but I have to apologize because I was in a rush to get food, which is no excuse to be a klutz" Bex replied "Though walking while reading e-mails is not a valid excuse as well" she told him as she observed his blackberry was in hand

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I feel extreme guilt over bumping in to you over some e-mails" Dan stated

"I take it your preparing for Cotillion season?" Bex asked

"You know the suit very well, Blair is going with the crème colors this year" Dan laughed

"Crème is in now, I've taught her well" Bex smiled "But are you a willing participant is the true question?" she asked

"It's her thing, I just go to make her happy" Dan told her

"Oh, that's sweet. You should earn brownie points for that answer" Bex laughed "I'm sure you have something romantic planned for the night with all the late hours Blair has been putting in?" she asked

"Not necessarily, I assume this night will be fun and bring back the good memories since Cotillion was a good memory for us. I'm going all in on that and nothing else" Dan told her

"Well if you had to select something to do, I suggest you take her to her favorite restaurant…well it's not actually her favorite but Louis managed to recruit her in to liking it" Bex told him

"Louis? Why would she like a restaurant that he likes?" Dan asked

"Because we always go to this restaurant called Lorraine's around the corner of our office when we work late. It's actually the reason we're so late because the food is amazing but I'd never tell him that for selfish reasons, Blair and Louis always hang back for dessert. So if you do anything, do the dessert because she raves about it" Bex told him

"I bet" Dan replied as he couldn't help but notice that Blair was being linked more and more with Louis than his liking "I'm sorry once again for bumping in to you" he said before he quickly walked off. Surprised by how quick he had walked off, Bex smiled to herself as she watched him cross the street. Going in her purse, Bex pulled out her phone and began to dial a familiar number.

"I bumped in to the boyfriend. He had no clue as I suspected but that all changed once we had a little discussion" Bex said before she turned to continue walking down the street.

* * *

Sighing in boredom, Blair could only imagine herself enjoying a nice cosmopolitan as she had to endure the final run through for the Cotillion practice before the big night tomorrow. Some of the girls looked like they were more nervous than ever as they built Cotillion up to be bigger than ever. For the most part, Blair knew that Cotillion was big for these girls because it was big in the Upper Eastside in general. How a girl is presented at Cotillion set the tone for how she was viewed by her peers. Getting the lead deb spot had set Blair up as the Queen Bee that she had strived to be but only because she was presented to be that way through Cotillion. Noticing Louis off in the corner talking in the corner with the director, Blair couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. Blair wanted to go over so that she could entertain herself with something other than this. Breaking off in to the dance portions of the Cotillion, Blair attempted to leave to catch an early break but found that a hand was extended towards her.

"Shall we?" Dan asked as she hesitantly took his hand before he lead her out on to the dance floor. Typically she would view this as romantic but she could see a look in his eye that showed that something else was going on with him. "You seemed surprise that it was me" he said

"Why would I be surprised?" Blair asked

"I don't know, just guessing" Dan said as he looked over towards the corner to see Louis talking with someone "Do you like him?" he asked after a moment of silence before Blair pulled back to look at him

"Who?" Blair asked in disbelief

"You know who" Dan replied before Blair let go of his embrace of her and immediately walked over towards her purse to grab her things while Dan followed behind her as they walked out into the hallway

"I can't believe you'd ask me something like that, after what you've done!? How dare you" Blair scolded him under breath before he grabbed on to her arm to turn her around

"It's an honest question that you should be able to answer" Dan told her

"No. How about that for an answer. I don't like him and I'm starting not to like you" Blair replied

"Oh, I know you don't like me, you've made that abundantly clear" Dan stated "But you're still my girlfriend and this going off to dinners with Louis while you're supposed to be at work, that's a bit much" he told her

"We work together Dan, that's all" Blair replied angrily "You want to make this more dramatic than need be like every bit of your descriptions in your book then go ahead" she told him

"How long are you going to do this? How long will it take for you to get over the fact that my diary was taken without permission and published, I didn't do this on purpose…" Dan began to say

"You still had a diary about me and my friends that just basically bashed us, am I suppose to feel relieved that you never intended to publish it?" Blair questioned

"No, you're suppose to talk about it. For two weeks we've ignore each other, we've pranced the issues because you don't want to deal" Dan told her

"I don't want to deal?! You're joking right because I'm not the one that…" Blair began to point out

"Okay, okay! I know all ready" Dan groaned in frustration "What's it going to take for us to get back on track?" he asked

"Frankly Dan, I don't know and I've got too much on my plate to try to figure it out. So let's just make the most of things and deal with this later" Blair told him

"That's not how you solve anything" Dan sighed in frustration

"Not talking, you should know that, I learned it from you" Blair replied before she walked off

* * *

Looking on at the machine pour the cup of coffee perfectly within the cup, Chuck let out a yawn as the wear and tear of the night was starting to catch up to him. Grabbing the coffee, Chuck then realized that if Jenny may be pregnant than coffee might not be the best thing to give to her. Tossing the cup in to the trash, Chuck walked over towards the bottle soda and water section of the hospital cafeteria and grabbed two bottles before he went to go pay for them. Walking down the hallway, Chuck peeked ahead to see that the emergency room was still full as he could see Jenny waiting. Chuck wanting nothing more than to throw around his weight of being Bart Bass's son but he knew that he could draw on the family name whenever it was necessary to him, if he wanted to be perceived as regular then he'd have to wait like regular people did. More than anything he was hating being normal because being Chuck Bass would've gotten them back in to the room by now.

"I got you coffee but then I didn't know" Chuck said as he handed her the bottle of water as she just smiled before he took his seat beside her "Have they made any progress?" he asked as he looked around the room to see if the people before them when checking in had been called up

"No, we're about five people back" Jenny sighed "We can just go home and I can make an appointment with my doctor" she suggested

"No, it's fine. We'll stay and drink water" Chuck told her as he put his arm around her "Are we even in the right place? I mean if you are then you might get sick with all these other people who aren't" he asked

"We're in the right place" Jenny told him as she could tell he was nervous

"Maybe I should ask to be on the safe side…" Chuck said as he began to get up from his seat before Jenny grabbed on to his arm

"Chuck, sit" Jenny instructed him to do so before he followed her instruction "You don't have to be so nervous" she told him

"Who says I'm nervous?" Chuck asked

"You're asking more questions than usual" Jenny replied as he took a moment to think "You're a usual Mr. Know it all so you asking questions only sends dazzling alarm signs" she laughed as she linked their hands together

"I guess I am. I've just never been at this place or point" Chuck sighed

"Neither have I" Jenny replied

"I know, and I feel bad for putting you at this point" Chuck told her

"It took two of to get us to this point" Jenny replied "I don't blame you for anything that I had control over as well" she said as she looked him dead in the eyes

"Have you thought about it? The possibility of us being pregnant?" Chuck asked after a moment of silence

"Not really. I've been too scared to think about it" Jenny told him "Have you?" she asked as she noticed a certain glimmer in his eyes that let her know that he was in thought

"The drive over, I was thinking that this was bound to happen with how reckless I am with sex. With girls it was always about my comfort and me getting my kicks that I never really cared about protection or not" Chuck told her

"What about with Georgina? She was your first, right?" Jenny asked

"That incident, never had protection and the travesty I'd be in if I was linked to her longer than need be" Chuck sighed as he realized that probably didn't sound right "The only person that I ever cared enough for was Katie…" he began to say

"You do realize that we only used protection once, right?" Jenny asked she having trouble following along with the sentiment he was trying to have to the story

"I do, but it was different because it wasn't sex…it was more with you. I've always wanted more with you and I haven't felt that way in a long time" Chuck told her

"Maybe we should just call it what it is, we thought marriage gave us a right to forget any form of protection" Jenny told him

"Or let's clear the air" Chuck told her as he looked her dead in the eyes so that she could see he was for real "If you do end up pregnant, I want you to know that I will be there…through it all, I will be there" he told her

"I never questioned you" Jenny replied

"Just in case you might because of my obvious past, I just want you to know that going in" Chuck said as he held on tight to her hand

"Jennifer Bass" The nurse called out causing them both to look away from the other towards the nurse

* * *

Grabbing two bottles of beer from the bartender, Tyler slid the money towards the bartender before he walked over towards Sean. Racking up the balls for a round of shooting pool, Sean quickly took his beer and began to drink as there was nothing he needed more after the grueling practice he had. Laughing at his friends eagerness to, Tyler couldn't help but conclude that this beer was probably the best thing to enter into Sean's hands at this point. Grabbing his pool stick off of the wall, Tyler walked over to put his bottle down as he loosed up his dress shirt before finally just taking it off so that he was down to his undershirt. Wanting to be comfortable, Tyler wanted to be fully prepared to beat Sean.

"So remind me again how this became our tradition, you know of me kicking your ass at pool?" Tyler asked

"Nonsense, you don't kick anyone's ass and we're doing this because I want a drink plus I want to kick your ass" Sean replied

"How is everything going on the team? I've heard through the chain that you've been hanging out with Jason and Serena a lot" Tyler said

"As means to get off the bench" Sean sighed "He wants me to look after his girl" he said

"Why?!" Tyler asked "I wouldn't trust you near my girl" he laughed

"I'm not that kind of guy and not with this girl. She's a little too high classed, and the reasons as to why is something I'm having trouble understanding" Sean said

"High classed would be the word but I don't think Serena suits it as well as my royal pain in the ass called Blair Waldorf" Tyler said

"Yeah, that was pretty messed up what she did to you at the party. What'd you do to get her back?" Sean asked

"Nothing. If I play the game than I'm only stooping to her level, I just plan to be around a lot more" Tyler told him

"And that means what?" Sean asked

"Get to know my parents, stop being gun shy with it all" Tyler said "I've been trying to get in contact with Eleanor but she's been blowing me off lately" he said

"You think she's lying?" Sean asked

"I did, I thought she may have taken Blair's side in the whole sibling rivalry, but her office said she was out of town" Tyler said

"Wait, so you called her office? Wow, trust doesn't come easy for you" Sean laughed

"Apparently not" Tyler replied as he walked over to grab another swig of his beer before he looked up to see Dan at the bar getting a beer as well. Exchanging glances with each other, Dan got his beer and walked over as he knew there was no escaping without saying hello

"Hey guys" Dan greeted them

"Hey…you person that I went to their house for a house party" Sean said as he began to realize that he really didn't know Dan like Tyler did

"You look like hell, you know from an observation standpoint" Tyler said with a bit of a laugh

"I've been working for this Cotillion and they have us lifting anything and everything" Dan sighed

"You have to do that Cotillion?" Tyler asked

"It's something that is part of this whole Upper Eastside and seeing as my girlfriend is…" Dan began to say

"We know" Sean and Tyler both said in unisons

"I told her, I told her the truth about the book" Dan said once Sean was out of earshot while Tyler just looked at him a bit surprised

"How'd she take that?" Tyler asked

"I don't know. We haven't talk about it but the slap she gave me lets me know she's upset" Dan told him "But I'm not telling you because of that, I just want to know how it all went down" he said

"You sure about that?" Tyler asked

"It's my book, I deserve to know because I think legally they will go after someone" Dan told him

"I got your USB by accident because Eleanor had thought I had left it over there. I printed the pages of what I thought was my article and gave to my editor. He loved it but turned out he loved the book. I tried to tell you but you weren't exactly eager to talk to me with what was going on with Blair, so I talked to Carter about it. Carter tried to stop it, he even raised the money to buy the originals of it but the overseas market managed to snag all of the originals from the states. The book had garnished enough buzz to get it to be published, so Carter didn't want you to take the blame…" Tyler told him as Dan began to understand the conclusion

"And that's why he claimed he was the author, he did it to protect me" Dan concluded

"I never meant to go behind your back, I just wanted to protect your work and Carter was your best friend and I knew he'd want the same thing for your work" Tyler said

"Legal wise, what will happen?" Dan asked

"We have had a bit of backlash, but people are taking the buy outs that the magazine is offering" Tyler told him "I can assure you that it will continue to work but for the most part bad press is even considered good press" he told him

"Thank you…if I forgot to say it, thank you" Dan told him

"Don't thank me. Thank Carter, he put forth the most effort" Tyler told him as he walked over to grab his pool stick

"Ladies, are you going to talk or play?" Sean asked as he caught Dan and Tyler's attention

"You got anywhere to be?" Tyler asked as Dan looked on at his watch for the time

"No, I have no place to be" Dan replied before he took his jacket off

"All right, that's what I'm talking about" Sean smiled "Bartender, keep the drinks coming" he then called out

* * *

**Once upon a time somebody ran**

**Somebody ran away saying fast as I can**

**I've got to go, I've got to go!**

Opening the door for him, Carter made his way through the grand household that he had grown up in. The maids and butlers greeted him with smiles as they were more than happy to see him. Getting a simple signal to let him know where his parent's whereabouts, Carter gave a silent thanks to the butler as he made his way to the dining area of where his parents were. Sitting in their usual spots, having the same boring conversations, Carter stood at the doorway of the dining area feeling more nervous than ever to see them. Carter had never worried over his parent's thoughts of him but his realization of all that he had done to them had finally made him understand the shame of what he had become and was now acknowledging.

"Carter, sweetheart, so glad to see you. Tell Isa to get you a chair" Carter's mother said happily as she attempted to rise from her chair

"I didn't come for dinner" Carter told her as she sat back down hesitantly

"Oh, and what did you come for?" Carter's father asked as he continued to cut his steak

"I came to tell you the truth. The truth about what really happened with college and the money you were missing" Carter said as he began to play with hands nervously. Hearing the word money, Carter knew that's all his father need to stop whatever he was doing. Leaning back in his chair, Carter's father turned all of his attention towards him. "Mom, dad…I've been taking money from you guys. I drained my savings and I've been dipping in to my trust fund account" he admitted as his parents looked on with shocked faces

"Why would you steal from us? If you need money…Carter, we have money…I don't understand this" Carter's mother questioned nervously

"I'm aware of that, but the money I wanted was unlimited…there was no dollar amount that would've made me happy and that has nothing to do with our social status or income" Carter told them

"Then what does it have to do with?" Carter's father asked

"I have a problem…it's a problem that has caused me to use every bit of money that is at my disposal, it's a problem that has caused me to take, it's a problem that has lead me to make decisions that I'm not proud of….it's a problem that has caused me to lie to you about what really happened about Princeton. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry and I'm prepared…I'm prepared to take whatever you guys throw at me" Carter said as tears fell from his eyes as he admitted to the truth. Looking at his son, Carter's father took a moment to access the truth his son had revealed before he got up from the table to throw his napkin down before he walked up to Carter.

"It takes a boy to screw up his life, but it takes a man to fix his life…decide which one you are and then give me your apology" Carter's father said as he looked at his son for a moment before he looked back at his wife. The silence seemed so deafening to him that Carter was unsure of how to respond. Seeing the look of confusion on his face, Carter's father finally walked away leaving Carter to ponder his thoughts.

**Once upon a time we fell apart**

**You're holding in your hands the two halves of my heart**

**Ohhhhh, ohhhhh!**

**Ohhhhh...**

Standing in the mirror, Serena looked on at her dress that she would wear to Cotillion. The memories of her own Cotillion hadn't been that of joyful memories, but there was nothing more that she wanted than to just have that one moment where everything was right. More and more, she found herself searching for that something that made her feel special. Looking back at herself, Serena wanted to feel that she was because so many were interested in her life, but inside, if she was brutally honest, she felt more alone than anything. Coming from the darkness of the room, Serena saw Jason coming up from behind her in the mirror. With the shine and glisten from the latest piece of jewelry in hand that he had purchased for his unsaid apologies, Jason slowly put the necklace on her neck before he let it fall gracefully to where it would rest on her chest.

"Beautiful, just like you" Jason said softly as she looked on at the necklace "Let's start over" he told her as he rested his hand on top of hers.

**Once upon a time, we burned bright**

**Now all we ever seem to do is fight**

**On and on...**

**And on and on and on...**

Making small adjustments to her dress as she stood in the mirror, Blair turned and model the dress that she would wear to Cotillion. Glancing over at the clock, Blair realized it was yet another hour that Dan hadn't made it home. Blair did her best to keep from worrying by doing moderate cleaning throughout the house. Dorota had taught her a few things that are considered must do's around the house, so Blair tried to acknowledge the knowledge that had passed down to her by trying to implement them. Cleaning around in the bedroom that was really only occupied by her at this point, Blair found that to be quick work. Not daring to touch the restroom due to sanitation reasons, Blair went into the office that Dan and her shared. Grabbing the papers that laid on top of the desk into the drawer, Blair couldn't help but stumbled upon a paper that was sent from the New York University that was addressed to Dan.

"Dear Mr. Humphrey, we hope that our previous meeting with you and Ms. Waldorf has set up a satisfactory payment plan on your tuition. We want to state that if payments become more than a week late, with you previous standings, we will be forced to terminate your enrollment at the University until the following academic school year" Blair read as she just stood in shock with what she was reading. Reading that a Ms. Waldorf was present, Blair knew that she knew nothing about this so her mother must've known that Dan was now at a point where he could be terminated from school. Going through the drawers, Blair read the opened statements in which Dan was behind on paying his tuition. Shuffling and going through the drawers like crazy, Blair felt like she was searching for the next lie that he had hidden away before she finally just tossed the papers to the floor and just looked on at the mess that she had created, that they had created without even realizing it.

**Once upon a time on the same upon a time on the same side, in the same game**

**And why'd you have to go, have to go and throw water on my flame**

Nervously pacing the floor, Chuck did his best to be a soothing support for Jenny but his found his own nerves getting the best of him. Looking at the numerous models of the woman's anatomy, Chuck felt nervous as to what the actual birthing process would consist of as it all seemed like big things coming down small passage ways. Looking over her shoulder occasionally, Jenny could see that Chuck was more nervous than ever as she could only hope that the news would ultimately lead to him being calm whether good or bad, but in this case, Jenny was unsure of what would be good news to her and what would be bad news for Chuck. The doctor entered the room and immediately both Jenny and Chuck shifted their attention towards her. Chuck walked up beside Jenny to rub her shoulders for comfort and support as they both would receive the news together.

"Mrs. Bass, we just got your results….and they came back negative, you're not pregnant" The doctor said as Jenny breathed a sigh of relief before a smile broke "Though we do want to get you set up with birth control as a preventive measure, if that's what you should choose to do" she went on to say

"Yes, of course" Jenny replied as Chuck smiled weakly at the doctor to show his compliance to her wishes. Smiling from ear to ear, Jenny said silent thank you's to the heavens above while Chuck couldn't help but feel like a hope had died. A pain in him began to emerge that he didn't know could exist in him, it was like he had lost a child. Jenny smiled for joy, while he smiled weakly for the sorrow he could not show.

**I could've been a princess, you'd be a king**

**Could've had a castle, and worn a ring**

**But no, you let me go**

Getting out of the taxi, Dan waved back at Tyler before the taxi finally drove off. Standing with his coat in hand, Dan looked on at the house that was supposed to become his home. Standing in the same spot for what felt like hours, Dan just stood there contemplating if he wanted to enter. Dan knew that behind the closed doors would be a couch where he would sleep with a coldness that he couldn't escape from her even if every heater in the house was on. Contemplating when he once used to contain himself for wanting to be near her, Dan knew this is where the change had kicked in. Walking towards the steps, Dan took a seat at the bottom step as he figured a few more minutes outside wouldn't kill him or change what would be behind the doors.

**I could've been a princess, you'd be a king**

**Could've had a castle, and worn a ring**

**But no, you let me go**

**And stole my star**

**La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la **

**You stole my star**

**La, la la la la laaaaaa**

Resting his head against the seat, Tyler looked on at the New York lights fill the sky as he sat in amazement. There wasn't a day that he didn't carry them with him, but looking at the lights only made him sad because those were the moments he wanted to share with his mother and father. He wanted to show the arts of New York to the only art he'd ever love, the love of his life, but all he could do was imagine what they would do or say at the sight. Feeling the vibration of cell phone, Tyler was torn from his moment of sadness to see that he had received a text. Hoping that it was Eleanor getting back in touch with him, Tyler was disappointed to see that it wasn't her number but another number he had gotten a hold of earlier that day.

"103 Ditmars Blvd. East Elmhurst" Tyler read to himself before the thought registered to him "Change in location, take me to the La Guardia airport instead" he told the taxi driver

**Oooooooh-oh oh oooooooh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhhh**

**Oooooooh-oh oh oooooooh oh oh oh ohhhhhhhhh**

Going through his text messages and e-mails as he stood in line to pick up her prescription, Chuck moved along with the line not really paying attention. Getting to the front of the line, Chuck let out a yawn as the early morning was starting to catch up to him. He could only imagine the lack of sleep he was going to get with Cotillion being tonight. It'd be a mad house before he'd even get a chance to lay his head down to a pillow. Still feeling the effects of the pain that lingered through his body from the source of the news that he had received on Jenny's false pregnancy, Chuck couldn't help wonder how he would've been if the news came back to positive. Getting lost in the thought as a smile slowly came, Chuck saw that he was up next. Giving Jenny's information, Chuck got her medicine that the doctor had prescribed for her and paid before he walked off. Opening the bag to check, Chuck looked on to see that the birth control and the pain relief medication that were prescribed looked to be the same. Holding the two bottles up, Chuck saw that the only difference was the label that separated them from each other.

**Cause you really hurt me**

**No you really hurt me**

**Cause you really hurt me**

**No you really hurt me**

**Cause you really hurt me**

**Ooooooooh you really hurt me, ooooooooh**

**Cause you really hurt me**

**Ooooooooh you really hurt me...**

The chill of the morning air hit him as he clenched on tight to his coat. Tyler rested up against a post as he looked down at the address one more time to be sure that he had it right as he found himself waiting longer than he had anticipated. Moments passed before he just thought that it was all one big joke and that he was the brunt of it. Beginning to turn to hail a taxi, Tyler cursed himself for being so tip crazy as he proved to be more gullible than ever to fall for such random texts. Just as he found a taxi to key in on, Tyler soon found that he was joined by someone.

"Tyler Waldorf, never expected you to be the hidden Waldorf" The guy smirked as Tyler turned to look at him

"You the one that text me?" Tyler asked

"Depends, are you the guy that wants information on the Archibald family, preferably Nate Archibald?" The guy asked as Tyler nodded to confirm that his guess was correct "Then I'm the one that text you" he said

"And who exactly are you?" Tyler asked

"I'm someone you'll never forget" The guy smiled as he extended his hand out towards Tyler "Damien Dalgaard" Damien introduced himself as he smiled "Politics wouldn't be politics without a good scandal behind it" he added with a bit of a smirk

* * *

Managing to drift off to sleep on the steps after he walked around the block, Dan realized that daytime had quickly come upon him. Throwing the coat over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs, Dan pulled out his key and began to make his way in. Noticing that Blair was sitting on the sofa as if she had been waiting, Dan stood still at the door as he wasn't sure what to make of this sight. Putting his coat away in the closet, Dan returned to his original form as they just looked on at each other for a few moments. She had looked liked she hadn't slept in days, while he seemed like the night had gotten the best of him but sadly the battle between them was what tore them down the most that anything outside these doors would only be a cake walk to deal with.

"You're sober, so at least this isn't a drunken night you've come home from" Blair replied breaking the silence

"I don't have to get drunk every time I leave the house…" Dan began to say

"Well you should call, I mean that's the respectable thing to do" Blair quickly replied as Dan just laughed to himself in disbelief by all the little jabs she put in on him

"There is no time, in which I can catch one bit of a break, is there? It's a constant let's bash on Humphrey session….and I'm getting sick of it!" Dan replied angrily

"I'd like to not bash on you, but it seems like the only time I get truth from you or some bit of sincerity is when I call you on it" Blair told him

"Truth? I'm not lying about anything…there is no truth to hide from you" Dan told her

"Really Dan?! Are you really going to stand there and lie to my face, use the words truth as your justification for anything that comes out of your mouth?" Blair asked "Because I know for a fact that you're lying to me" she told him

"About what? I guess since the book, I just lie about everything…" Dan began to say

"How about the fact that when I asked what your school was calling for, you blatantly lied and said it was nothing. It was nothing, that is what you said!" Blair yelled before she reached over to grab the papers to throw at him as they just fell everywhere on the floor "The lie is that it was something….you were almost terminated from school" she told him sternly

"That was my business" Dan told her

"You're business? We're in a relationship, we're supposed to share things with each other, not hide them from each other!?" Blair exclaimed as she got up from her seat on the couch

"You're one to talk, you're the one out there having late dinners with dessert with the very guy you flew off to a different country with…" Dan began to point out as Blair groaned in frustration

"He's my coworker!" Blair yelled

"Well he seems like a hell of a lot more!" Dan yelled

"Don't you dare put this on me, I'm not the one that lied. I work with him, that you know. I get dinner because I figure I should eat since I work late…so what? I should just starve now until I see you?" Blair questioned him "I'm sorry if I'm not that dame that does as her boyfriend says, but I have nothing to hide and your accusations or only making you sound pathetic" she said

"Yeah well, I have school…not everyone can blow off school and get jobs handed to them" Dan replied as he walked over towards the kitchen to get a beer out of the fridge

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Blair questioned as she followed behind him

"You figure it out" Dan griped

"No, tell me. Since you're all honesty, tell me what you meant by that…or should I wait for the sequel to come out to hear your true thoughts on the matter?" Blair asked as Dan slammed the fridge shut

"The reason why I almost got terminated was because I couldn't afford school, you see in real life with normal people, we have problems, money problems. We can't just go off of last names to get anywhere, we have to work our ass off and then some. I can't afford classes because I'm too busy trying to keep you!" Dan replied angrily

"How dare you? Keep me, I never once expected you to keep me by monetary means…" Blair began to say

"Which is why you hop on private jets, go on shopping sprees, and get custom purses made. Here's an update for you; the electric, lights, utilities and phone bills have to be paid…and that's what I work my ass off to do plus rent and tuition" Dan told her

"You wanted to pay those bills, I asked you, no I told you I would split everything with you. So don't blame me for you inability to speak up" Blair told him "I don't need you to take care of me. I have an independent mother, who has provided a nice life for herself…so I know being independent is not a myth, it can be done. You want to go half, then tell me. I have no problem in paying my half because I expect to" she said

"Aw geesh, there's the I am woman and strong anthem. Blair Waldorf needs no one and can do it all by herself" Dan told him "Give me a break, nothing I do is good enough for you" he told her

"Boy, that seems to be the key with you these days. It's all about Dan. It's all about stroking your ego and making you feel like you belong…I'm sorry but I'm tired of stroking your ego or going along with what you believe to be right and wrong" Blair told him "Every bit of our problems is because you refuse to take your own advice. You want me to be honest but yet you can't do the same. You want me to respect you but you go out and bash me in your book or diary, whatever the hell you labeled it as. You want me to give Tyler a break but you crucify Jenny and Carter for their mistakes or decisions. When you start following your own advice then I'll register the statement you just said because as far as now, it's just you being the jackass that you are" she angrily replied before she walked out of the kitchen with Dan following behind

"You want truth? You want honesty from me?!" Dan asked

"It'd be nice" Blair replied sarcastically

"How about the fact that for the past couple months, you've made me feel less than a man because of your need to have it all. I stand there, I support you even with everything that went on with Georgina, I supported you no questions asked. You go behind my back and buy this townhouse because you figured I wouldn't come up with the money on time. You turn down my proposal because you feel we're not ready…it's always been about accommodating you. This relationship began on accommodating you and you accepting that you could actually love me" Dan yelled "How about the fact that now when I'm with you, I hate who I am because I'm constantly thinking that I will never be good enough for you to marry or even be with. I hate that I've become so engulfed in your world that I don't even know who I am anymore…I'm drowning in this world and you can't even bother to notice because you're either fighting with Tyler or working!" he yelled as tears welled up in both of their eyes while they looked at each other "I hate who I've become in this relationship" he breathed

"And that's my fault?" Blair questioned as tears fell from her eyes "I never asked you to sacrifice any part of who you were to be with me…" she said through the tears

"You didn't have to, I loved you…I love you and you do that stupidly because it's love…you give yourself up because it's love" Dan told her

"If I make you hate yourself, it's not love" Blair replied as a silence came between them "I'm sick of fighting, I can't fight you anymore…I refuse to. I love you, but I love myself more to know that I deserve to be happy and I feel like I've held back from my happiness" she cried "So if we're both not happy…then let's just call this what it's turning into…we're growing a part and I'm not sure we're willing to catch up with the other" she said getting choked up by the tears

"Maybe" Dan muttered as a silence came once more

"Don't make me be the one to say it" Blair cried as she shook her head

"Go ahead, we both know you're the strongest, you're the realist of us both" Dan laughed through the tears "Just make the call, I'll stand by it" he said as he felt a part of himself kick himself for giving up so easily but he just didn't have the strength anymore nor did she

"This is done. We're breaking up" Blair said as she held back the tears before he lowered his head to hide the tears as well. Both handling the words of the end of their courtship in their own way, Blair built up the courage to walk over towards the closet by the door to grab her coat. "I'll send for my things" she said softly before she quickly made her way out as he could only hear the closing of the door echo in his ears.

_**Eleanor: **__**The worst thing you can do in this industry, is stay longer than need be. You have to know when it's your time to leave, when to bow out for the next. Bow out with grace, don't let anyone force you to go because if you were really remarkable as the critics say, you're absence will remain longer than your presence.**_

* * *

Playing with the locket that hung around her neck, Eleanor found herself on to it longer than usual. It was as if she was drawing strength from it knowing that although she was perceived to be the strongest of women, in this moment she was a mere mortal in the face of a giant. Holding on tight to her locket, Eleanor called upon every memory she could've of thought of before the door finally swung open.

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter:**

**Coldplay feat. Rihanna- Princess of China**

* * *

**Author's Note: So yet another intense one. I have to say that this one was harder to write because I didn't know what to focus on the most as far as the break up scene or having the character involved in Cotillion. Ultimately, Cotillion was used as a back drop for Dan and Blair for them to have that moment to relive a good time or good moment they had between them, but falling short of getting there because they finally had to realize what their relationship had morphed in to. This may be sad, but I'm excited for the break up because I think this is their chance to really grow up and see who they are individually but also I wanted to rebuild the base of what they were which was their friendship. So who knows, with a strong base, I wonder what it all could lead to?**

**Carter- I wanted him to end his gambling storyline and ultimately deal with fixing his life. The line his father said was important for his transition in to now getting out of his ties to Dominic and maybe setting the tone for rebuilding his relationships that he valued by fessing up to the bigger problem, which was that he had a problem and he didn't address it.**

**Chuck and Jenny- Their storyline will get interesting because if you could detect from the story, Jenny was glad that she wasn't pregnant but Chuck was sad that she wasn't. So they will have an interesting story coming up involving that which will lead in to the Bass Industry storyline.**

**Nate- I would say that I'm looking forward to his storyline because it's something that I want to handle with great care and responsibility for readers. Again, it's a topic or issue that GG glossed over that I felt could've been good.**

**Serena/Jason/Sean- This story will gradually pick up, but expect a wild ride on this one.**

**Dan/ Blair- It will hurt for a bit, but I guarantee you will like the journey. You'll get some vintage From the Beginning Dan and Blair. They'll be soul searching, heartbreak, test of strength, family, scandal for their storyline. Sometimes you have to break it down to build it up again, so trust me when I say that the story has just begun with these two.**


	12. The Lady Vanished

Author's Note: Sorry it took a while to update. I went out of town for the weekend. Saw Celine Dion in concert for the first time and I have to say it was AMAZING! I'm still not over that experience, so that's why I blurted it out. I hope you enjoy the chapter. As you know our babies have broken up, so this is the new chapter in their lives. Thank you all for your feedback on the last chapter, I greatly appreciate it as you all know and I especially love the kind words that you say about me as an author. That makes it all worth writing when people appreciate you as an author, so I feel the love you guys are sending my way. Hope you enjoy and look forward to your feedback.

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Eleven- The Lady Vanished**

* * *

**Gotta change my answering machine**

**Now that I'm alone**

**Cause right now it says that we**

**Can't come to the phone**

**And I know it makes no sense**

**Cause you walked out the door**

**But it's the only way I hear your voice anymore(it's ridiculous)**

**It's been months**

**And for some reason I just(can't get over us)**

**And I'm stronger than this(enough is enough)**

**No more walking round**

**With my head down**

**I'm so over being blue**

**Crying over you**

Sitting back on the sofa, Dan looked on at the mess surrounding him as cleaning up for the past month had been put off for quite some time. Getting up from the sofa, Dan walked over to grab another slice of pizza out of the kitchen before he attempted to give it another try. Taking a seat at his desk, Dan sat in front of the blank computer screen as he attempted to finish at least one sentence. Dan had hoped that over the recent week that he would be inspired to write but it appeared to have the opposite feeling on him. Nothing came to him. Nothing inspired him to move past one single sentence that he had jotted down and even that sentence was below mediocre. Slamming the top of his laptop shut, Dan groaned as he hid his face in the crook of his folded arms that he had on his desk.

**And I'm so sick of love songs**

**So tired of tears**

**S****o done with wishing you were still here**

**Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow**

**So why can't I turn off the radio?**

Piles of paperwork surrounded her as she sat on the bed compiling the workbooks that were required for tomorrow's meeting. Since being invited out by Louis to St. Bart's, Blair found that she wanted to go above and beyond on what was expected of her because she wanted to prove to The Madame that she did in fact belong. For weeks straight, Blair had put herself in to her work as she was more determined than ever to get ahead in her career and not anything slow her down from doing so. Grabbing her cell phone to check her schedule, Blair had a lapse of judgment for a moment before she looked on her cell phone wallpaper to see that she still had a picture of her and Dan together. For a moment she could vividly remember how they were in that moment, how their only problem was trying to find new places to have sex where they wouldn't get caught or interrupted. It felt like a lifetime ago but a lifetime that she remembered being happy in. Quickly closing her phone, Blair had to brush aside the moments of the past so she could move forward with her future.

**Gotta fix that calendar I have**

**That's marked July 15th**

**Because since there's no more you**

**There's no more anniversary**

**I'm so fed up with my thoughts of you**

**And your memory**

**And how every song reminds me**

**Of what used to be**

It had all been a bit hasty but no part of Dan felt the urge to emerge into the world as he was sure that his break up with Blair was all the talk. Gossip Girl for the most part had her impeccable timing, where she emerged when he least expected her to but Dan was beyond numb to it all that it didn't even matter what other's opinions were of the relationship because all he knew was that it was over. He had missed so much work that he eventually called the secretary to quit his job while he avoided calls from everyone and anyone that was willing to waste time out of their day to check on him. Dan hadn't heard from Blair since the day she walked out, but it never stopped him from wondering about what she was up to. At moments when he should've been trying to create his book that would be his claim to fame that he should've had, Dan found that no words were coming out like he had wanted them to. Skimming through the pages of the internet, Dan wound up on Gossip Girl to see that the locator had placed Blair in St. Bart's. Sadness washed over him as he had hoped that she was feeling as miserable as he was, but he could see that wasn't case. If anything them not being together had allowed her to travel like she had always wanted to do in her career. Knowing what he knew now, Dan felt even more numb that feeling would've been a curse for him.

**That's the reason I'm so sick of love songs**

**So tired of tears**

**So done with wishing you were still here**

**Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow**

**So why can't I turn off the radio?**

On set, Blair stood back behind the monitors to see the finished product of Louis work while he directed the shoot. On occasion Blair would run around like a chicken with her head cut off but Blair never felt so happy to be a part of something that she truly loved. Working with the models, adjusting clothes to make the theme of the shoot come to life, coordinating with the locals to be used as models; Blair was truly coming in to her own. A few times throughout the day, Blair would notice Louis smiling at her but she didn't have time to take in the fact that he had a truly amazing smile because again her focus had to be on work. Once the final shot was taken, the crew erupted with cheers while Blair smiled happily on being a part of such a project. Her job was her saving grace and she was beginning to realize it was becoming the one thing that she was sure of in her life that she wanted more than anything.

* * *

Making his way through the lobby of the luxurious hotel, Tyler found himself always amazed at what the life of the rich and fabulous were able to afford. Doormen greeting him with every turn, Tyler waited for the one employee to stop him in his tracks to question his presence but since he had been coming by on a regular basis, Tyler was aware that they had grown used to him. Getting on the elevator, Tyler made his way towards the penthouse level. Stepping off the elevator, Tyler began to walk towards the double doors but couldn't help but notice an elderly woman coming out of the very doors he was walking towards. Tyler was aware that she didn't know of his arrival but he assumed that she had been called on his way up to the room, so to know that she was able to see others instead of being able to see him for weeks had upset him for a bit. Making his way in to the room, Tyler saw Eleanor sitting at the table in the kitchen area of the penthouse suite with a beautiful breakfast spread laid out in front of her.

"What a pleasant surprise" Eleanor smiled at her son "Come, join me for breakfast" she told him as he looked at her skeptically while he walked over towards the table

"Do you always have such an elaborate spread?" Tyler asked as he looked at the table to see every breakfast food imaginable was on the table at her disposal. Taking a seat across from her at the table, Tyler looked around to see that the room hadn't been long stayed in since she had been her working dent in to the place with miscellaneous papers hanging around.

"I just like to have everything I need" Eleanor smiled "Is that such a crime?" she asked as she poured herself a cup of tea before she began to put fruit on to her plate "You should really eat something Tyler" she told him

"I had a donut on the way over. I had a late night with a resource that I'm working with on an upcoming story" Tyler told her as he pouted himself a cup of coffee.

"What story might that be?" Eleanor asked

"Nothing that would make you happy, so I think we should avoid the topic" Tyler told her

"So by that, I take it you're going forward with the story on the Archibald's? my only advice is that you be careful with what you hear and what you write" Eleanor told him

"My intent isn't to hurt anyone. I'm just trying to do my job" Tyler told her "Why are you staying here? I mean it took a few friends in places to get the word that you were staying in a hotel instead of the penthouse, but why here and not your own home?" he asked

"That is because I fly out tonight. I would go home but I want to give Blair her privacy with all that she's dealing with. Have you talked with her?" Eleanor asked

"Blair and I talking isn't something that I see happening" Tyler replied

"Tyler" Eleanor sighed

"Forcing a relationship with my sister isn't going to fare well for you because the more we're forced on each other it just amplifies our annoyance with each other" Tyler replied

"Well if you must know, Blair and Dan have called it quits. They've broken up and I fear she may be throwing herself in to her work" Eleanor sighed

"Wow, didn't see that coming" Tyler said a bit a surprised to hear the news of the break up "He seemed over the moon about her….guess things don't always end up the way we think it will go" he said "But that doesn't mean you should avoid the house. Maybe she might seek comfort in having her mother around" he said

"I'm sure she would but I still want to respect her privacy" Eleanor smiled

"Are you sure everything is okay? I mean I get that we're not being on our best behavior but you don't have to run off" Tyler asked after a few moments of silence came between them

"I don't run away. I work, I work hard so that I can afford such things. I do happen to view this as a vacation of some sort, maybe you could spend the day and we can take in some shopping" Eleanor smiled

"My idea of shopping is going to Target and buy the seven dollar shirts and that's about it" Tyler replied "I appreciate the offer but I prefer comfort over style" he said

"I'm being turned down for Target, that's a designers worst nightmare" Eleanor laughed

"They got you beat, I'm sorry" Tyler joined in on the laughter before his phone started to ring. Pulling his cell phone out, Tyler could see that it was a text message from his help that was supposed to keep an eye on Damien. Reading frustrating news, Tyler groaned in frustration as he finished the message.

"Is something wrong?" Eleanor asked

"Actually yes…I have to get back to work" Tyler said as he got up from his seat

"Oh…okay" Eleanor replied

"So you're leaving tonight for where?" Tyler asked

"To Japan. I'll be away for a week but I'll do better to keep in touch" Eleanor told him "Your father should be coming in by the end of this week, maybe you can get in touch with him to do something" she suggested as it seemed a bit weird to hear Eleanor talk about Harold in that manner since Tyler still was taking it slow on seeing them as anything but his biological parents

"Yeah, I'll get in contact with him" Tyler told her "Be safe and safe travels" he said before he turned to leave.

* * *

Grabbing his case of beer, Dan rubbed his eyes to keep himself awake as he walked up to the counter. Paying for his beer, Dan couldn't help but notice a few girls off in an aisle whispering and pointing down at their cell phone screens as he was sure that he had been spotted. Shaking his head, Dan found it to be stupid on what girls to be important to gossip or talk about. Putting the change away in his pocket before he made his way out of the store to begin his walk back to the townhouse. Putting his shades on so that he could have somewhat of disguise, Dan ultimately wanted to go the rest of the day without having the whispers or anything that linked him to the break up that had been become all he was good to talk about these days. Losing concentration on where he was walking, Dan had bumped in to someone. Noticing that it was Carter, Dan felt as if it would only make sense to bump in to his old friend

"Hey" Carter said nervously

"Hey" Dan replied as he made no effort to remove his shades

"You look all celebrity status with the shades, mind telling what your blocking?" Carter asked trying to make casual conversation

"Don't act like you don't know. I know you stay up with the somewhat current gossip" Dan replied

"All right, well I do…I just didn't want to jump off with the whole let's discuss your break up topic. Gossip Girl has it trending at number two" Carter told him

"Oddly enough, I would like to know who's number one" Dan sighed

"Jennifer Graham's breast implants gone wrong. Apparently her stupidity carried over into her filling out medical application to request A and B cups…I'm just glad she didn't have a third breast to choose from because we all know what letter comes after B" Carter told him

"Well she was never the brightest, even in high school" Dan shrugged as a silence came between them "It was nice seeing you. I'll see you around" he said before he walked off. Unaware that he had dropped a card, Carter leaned forward to grab the card in hopes of catching Dan but found that he was too late as Dan was crossing the street all ready. Reading the card to himself, Carter couldn't help but speculate as to why Dan would have such a card. Continuing on his walk towards Victrola, Carter pulled out his cell phone to make a call.

"You should be here instead of calling me" Chuck groaned

"Yes, and I should forget the fact that you've turned the office into your sex room" Carter quickly replied

"When you have a frequent partner then you're allowed frequent sex, you should try that some day" Chuck told him

"And here I thought marriage was because you couldn't live life without the person" Carter replied

"That too, but your sex life only increases if you're doing it right…" Chuck went on to say

"Okay, I get the point, you're having sex, big whoop!" Carter replied as he began to grimace at the constant thought of Dan's little sister and Chuck having sex on a frequent basis "What do you know about The Org?" he asked

"Why would you assume I know anything about it?" Chuck asked

"Because you tend to know all things New York and especially the party scene" Carter said "You've changed but not by that much. The Old Chuck Bass still lingers in his creepy and perverted ways" he said.

"You do realize that I'm on the phone, right?" Chuck asked

"What is it?" Carter asked

"The Org….it's some rave party. It's a usual drug experimental scene, a lot of the new drugs are at this event. I know the guy that throws these party usually has to run it as a racketeer thing" Chuck said

"Racketeer? Like a business front or something?" Carter asked

"Yes, but it brings in a hell of a lot of money" Chuck stated

"I bet with the drugs being a part of it at the core. You said you knew the guy, who is it?" Carter asked

"Greg…Greg Jomani" Chuck said as he racked his head for a name only to find that the name sounded all too familiar to Carter "Why are you asking?" he asked

"Because this party is the reason I won't be coming in today. I have all the faith in you, so don't screw that up" Carter said quickly before he ended the phone call to hail a taxi down while he began to dial a familiar number. "Yeah, we need to meet up" he said before the taxi pulled up and he got in.

* * *

Sitting up in the arena seats of the gym, Serena looked on at Jason's practice for most of the afternoon. At the practice, Serena couldn't help but pick up on a tension that was going on between Jason and Management that seemed to make Jason even more of an hard ass on his teammates. Every little thing needed to be perfect. Every little play needed to be crisp to his standards that it felt like Jason was more of the coach than the coach himself. On occasion, Serena enjoyed the competitive side to Jason but found that her own business was interfering with putting her sole focus on him. Answering and sending e-mails to club promoters that wanted her to come down for an appearance, Serena managed to line up an event for the night that would get her a quick pay day. Not even noticing that practice was over, Serena looked up to see that the basketball court was empty. Knowing that the media was probably hounding Jason with questions about the upcoming match up against the second best team in the league. Once he made his way down the stairs of the arena towards her, Serena quickly hopped up to give him a hug but he had avoided her hug.

"What's wrong?" Serena asked as she questioned his coldness

"Why'd you come?" Jason asked in a bit of a whisper

"Why'd I come? I came to see you and I was hoping we could hang out tonight at this club that I have to show up for" Serena told him

"So you book appearances while you're suppose to be supporting me. Does that sound like the slightest bit of selfish to you because it sounds real selfish to me" Jason told her under his breath as his anger was beginning to come through with how he was talking "You shouldn't have even bothered to come because now I have to worry about you penciling in whoring yourself out for your stupid career while I'm worrying about a fucking contract extension. I have a real job and all you have is a job based on your looks" he scolded her

"Okay, clearly you need to calm down because I didn't come here to fight with you" Serena said as she attempted to walk away but he had quickly grabbed on to her arm forcefully to pull her back towards him "Ouch! You're hurting me" she told him

"Don't you dare walk away. You wanted to talk, well let's talk" Jason scolded her

"Let go of me" Serena whispered

"No! you wanted to see me, well this is me. I shouldn't have to share attention in your world, you come to see me then see me…don't go on your fucking phone and book shit that doesn't even matter" Jason told her "Now, that's how I feel about it" he said throwing her hand away from him just as Sean came prancing down the stairs towards them to notice that Serena and Sean were acting weird towards each other

"Hey, what's up? Rich told me you wanted to see me?" Sean asked as a moment of silence passed by

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you that I've been talking to Coach about getting you more minutes for this upcoming game" Jason said as he continued to glare at Serena before turning his attention towards Sean

"Thanks, I appreciate that" Sean replied

"No problem" Jason replied as he ran his hand through his hair "I was wondering if you could do me a favor though….I need you to go with S to an event" he said as Serena just looked at him in disbelief

"Seriously Jason?!" Serena said

"Yes, seriously!" Jason replied angrily "Do this for me and I'll make sure to repay you back" he said as he walked over towards Sean

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable with this, I mean this is your girl that I'm being pictured with by photographers" Sean reasoned.

"As long as I know the truth then that's all that matters. Take care of her and I'll take care of you" Jason said as Sean looked over at Serena for some sort of clarification of how she felt about this but ultimately he had to trust Jason on this because they were teammates.

"All right. I'll do it" Sean agreed reluctantly before Jason leaned over to kiss Serena on the cheek

"Be good tonight. I'll call you later on to see how it all went" Jason told Serena before he made his way up the stairs to leave the arena while busying himself with working on his blackberry

"What time do I need to pick you up?" Sean asked as Serena just glared at him for a moment before she walked out of the aisle to head up the stairs "Serena, come on…" he began to say

"Don't follow me, I mean it!" Serena replied as she turned around angrily as Sean just shook his head in disbelief, feeling like he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't do anything.

* * *

The photo shoot had wrapped up early, which allowed Blair more time to take in the sights of St. Bart's so that she could enjoy a bit of the island before she'd have to leave in the next day. With a nice drink in her hand, Blair was feeling more relaxed than she had ever been. Heading into a local bar to grab something to eat, Blair sat at the table and began to read one of the books she had picked up from the airport while she waited for her food to be brought out. Just as she grew tired of her book, Blair looked up to see Louis walking towards her. A smile from ear to ear, Louis walked up towards the table to join her as she could clearly see that he had taken in a bit of swimming on his down time from the shoot.

"There you are, I was beginning to think that you had left early" Louis told her as he leaned in to hug her before taking a seat

"No, I've just been taking in all of the sights" Blair told him "It's so beautiful here" she smiled

"I know right" Louis smiled "I wish we could stay here for weeks on end because this is just so beautiful that it makes you want to drop everything" he told her.

"I don't know about dropping everything but it does make you forget all the problems" Blair sighed as she began to play with the straw in her drink.

"And by that are you referring to your brother, Tyler?" Louis asked her

"That's a problem that I want to leave far, far behind me" Blair told him as the waiter brought over her food. "My mother has been dodging choosing sides between that one, so I just removed myself from that situation all together" she sighed

"What do you mean? I thought Eleanor wanted you guys to work it out?" Louis asked

"She does but she wants me to just accept him and I'm not sure that I can, not yet" Blair said

"Did you find any evidence on him like you set out to?" Louis asked

"I found too much" Blair sighed "I found that my boyfriend wasn't exactly in the clear like I thought" she said

"Wait, are you saying that he wrote that book, he wrote Insider?" Louis asked eagerly as Blair thought for a moment on how she should handle this because she knew the ramifications of what this could lead to if she outed Dan as the writer.

"No, he just….he didn't disagree with what was said" Blair told him

"And you feel like everyone is on Tyler's side" Louis concluded

"It wasn't just about Tyler with Dan and I" Blair sighed "It was more than that, but I can't focus on that…I have to focus on the important things and that right now is my career" she said

"That's a great way to see things" Louis smiled "But if I had to admit to something, I don't think you came out to bad in the so called book. I mean I think the writer wasn't ready for the woman you were becoming. I think that he was realizing that he wasn't your happily ever after in the long run" he said

"So me being portrayed as some manipulative and controlling bitch seemed great to you?" Blair questioned with a bit of a laugh

"What you see as a bitch, I see as a woman that knows how to go after what she wants" Louis smiled "And that's always sexy" he told her as she couldn't help but blush at the compliment that he gave her "I think you could be something amazing Blair, and maybe letting go of the girl and the boy against the world fantasy is what you need to make that step towards what you want" he said as he leaned in closer towards her to where they were a centimeter away from each other

"I hope your right" Blair smiled

"Oh, I know I'm right" Louis said as he looked her in the eye one final time before he leaned in to attempt to kiss her but found that she had moved away from his lips.

"Though I love the compliment…I want to keep this professional" Blair told him as she kept her eyes close in fear of seeing his disappointment

"I completely understand….and I feel like a complete ass" Louis laughed in embarrassment

"No, don't. I mean you're…you've got great assets and maybe, but not now. Does that make sense?" Blair asked

"Not now. I think I understand" Louis smiled before he tucked of strand of hair behind her ear.

* * *

Most of the car ride had been minimal conversation between both Carter and Vanessa as she was unsure what his true intentions were. On occasion she couldn't help but notice that he was a bit different than usual but she wouldn't allow herself to get caught up in noticing anything about Carter because the focus at hand had to be about making sure that Dan wasn't going to get caught up in doing something stupid. Looking out the window at the darkened sky, Vanessa immediately saw a blaze of light as they came up on the camp grounds that the party was being held at in the outskirts of New York that almost seemed like they were heading in to New Jersey. Getting out of the car, Carter surveyed the crowd as it seemed to be a full fledged mad house by the time he had shown up. Closing the drivers side of his car, Vanessa got out the car immediately scanning the crowd to see it was as she expected when it came to this type of party. The Upper Eastside party was more precise and fancy but when it came to Brooklyn and beyond, it was just about packing the area along with blasting the loudest current or upcoming music while putting out samples of the latest drugs for those that did the street circuit as a nine to five. Making their way through the crowd, Carter found that his idea of making a quick spotting of Dan was going to be harder than he thought as it had to be over a thousand people in this open field.

"So do you have any idea as to where he might be?" Vanessa asked as she dove her hands into her pocket

"No, I just know he's here" Carter said

"And you know this how?" Vanessa asked

"Trust me, he's here. He just broke up with his long time girlfriend and he looks like crap" Carter replied

"So that constitutes him going to a party such as The Org?" Vanessa questioned as they got in line to get their wristbands and tickets

"It sounds crazy but I just have this sense that he's doing something stupid and being here with a bunch of potential stone heads sounds like the dumbest of things" Carter said as a few people ahead turned around to look back at him and Vanessa "But yet it's such a well put together event" he reasoned as he wanted to take the sting off of his words

"Come every year" Vanessa smiled before the people turned back around to move forward in the line "Nice job of trying to get us killed Baizen" she muttered to him

"Sorry" Carter said as they made their way to the front of the line

"Two tickets" Vanessa said as she motioned to grab for her wallet but Carter had stepped in front of her to pay. Handing the tickets to Carter, the guy handed them their wristbands before they stepped to the side to get into the entrance line "You didn't have to do that" she told him

"I'm not stingy" Carter replied "Besides, I invited you on this mission. You can just repay me…we'll work out a payment plan seeing as I need to pay your step dad back" he joked

"And you know how to kill a moment" Vanessa laughed as she put her wristband to show the guard before they both made their way in to see an even bigger crowd ahead of them with the music playing louder than ever that it made it hard to even hear each other.

**Hey baby, what's that sound**

**I make a few steps and I fall on the ground**

**It's a long shot but darling I couldn't love you on, come on**

Grabbing her hand, Carter led Vanessa through the crowd as they walked down towards the stage. The people that they passed, Carter saw numerous amounts of drugs that were either being snorted, injected or passed through kissing. His concern grew with each moment that passed as he just hoped that Dan wasn't getting caught up in the scene of the crowd. Relaxing in to the feel of her hand in his, Vanessa couldn't help but smile to herself as she missed being lead by him. Again she felt herself trying to fight against her inner thoughts because the focus needed to be clear. Fireworks erupted in to the sky which made the crowd jump up in excitement and only made it harder to find Dan with the bodies jumping about.

**Hey baby, give it a tryI can find an answer if you wanna know why**

**I know I'm a nerd but give another play to this song**

**Come on, come on**

**How does it sound if we spend the night out? **

Stopping for the camera's on the red carpet, Serena posed for the numerous of photographers that had called her name. Managing to dodge Sean, Serena didn't want to go alone so she brought along Hazel and Kati. Though she would've loved to bring Blair along, Serena just settled for who ever was available at this point. The flashing lights nearly blinded her as all she could do was smile up against the backdrop of the club while she walked the red carpet along with the other celebrities that were there. Making her way inside, Serena didn't want to hold up the fun for the girls so she made a conservative effort to get the work out of the way before heading inside. Going towards the doors, Serena looked over to see Sean in the crowd motioning for her to pick up her phone. Looking in his direction, Serena just pretended that he was just another face in the crowd before she eventually headed inside.

"Really?! I know you saw me" Sean declared as she saw the back of her head inside the club "Now I know the shit Kevin Costner had to deal with, chasing Whitney Houston's crazy ass" he muttered to himself as he made his way through the crowd towards the bouncer.

**Hey baby, what's that sound**

**I make a few steps and I fall on the ground**

**It's a long shot but darling I couldn't love you on, come on**

Sitting backstage after finishing up with the stage set up, Dan looked out at the crowd that was beginning to form. Helping out a friend of his that was playing a gig at the event, Dan wanted to view this experience as a way for him to get out of his funk that he was in but the longer he was here, the more he just wanted to go home. The drugs all around him wasn't his scene and he wasn't going to pretend like he was even in to that because although he wanted to feel numb, he didn't want to do it in that way. After the set was finished, Dan made it up in his mind that he would help the band get their equipment but would head home soon after. Grabbing a beer backstage, Dan just drank while he leaned up against the wall listening to the music to pass the time. Turning off his cell phone, Dan wanted to preserve his battery.

**Hey baby, give it a try**

**I can find an answer if you wanna know why**

**I know I'm a nerd but give another play to this song**

**Come on, come on**

**How does it sound if we spend the night out? **

**How does it sound if we spend the night out? **

Finally finding the location, in which Damien had snuck off to, Tyler managed to sweet talk his way past the bouncer. Heading into the building, Tyler quickly noticed the strippers swinging around on the pole while Damien sat front and center just throwing money about. Groaning in frustration, Tyler began to wonder if he took on more than he could chew by reaching out to talk with Damien since it was like babysitting a spoiled rich kid that had no boundaries. Hanging his head, Tyler stood in deep contemplation as this was the first time he questioned if getting the story on the Archibald's was really worth it. Just as he got lost in thought, Tyler received a text that left him confused.

**Come on, come on**

**How does it sound if we spend the night out? **

**Hey baby, what's that sound**

**I make a few steps and I fall on the ground**

**It's a long shot but darling I couldn't love you on, come on**

Realizing that the bouncer wasn't going to let him in to the club, Sean groaned in frustration as he knew Serena knew exactly what she was up to. Walking out towards the street, Sean had thoughts of calling it a night but he knew that he couldn't just leave because Jason would find out and then he'd lose the only chance he'd have at getting playing time. Gritting his teeth, Sean took a seat on the sidewalk and prepared himself to wait until Serena would come out. Sean knew it'd be a long stretch but he had to try something because going home empty handed was not an option for him.

**Hey baby, give it a try**

**I can find an answer if you wanna know why**

**I know I'm a nerd but give another play to this song**

**Come on, come on**

Sitting on the patio of her villa, Blair held her cup of tea as she watched the lights from the boats pass by on the water. With her feet to her chest in the chair, Blair took in this moment and was just glad that she could relax for a moment. It had been few and far in between where she was able to just stop and sit, but even now she felt the need to keep moving because now all she could do was sit and think. Thinking was something she didn't want to do because she knew that along with thinking would come regrets as she couldn't have regrets in her future or could she? She questioned herself.

**How does it sound if we spend the night out?**

**How does it sound if we spend the night out?**

Enjoying the warmth of the breeze that came by, Blair closed her eyes to take it in before she heard the sounds of her cell phone ringing. For a moment, Blair thought it was her mind playing tricks on her but she as she could hear it continue to ring, Blair knew that it was real. Setting her cup on the patio table before she got up, Blair put her blanket on the chair before she headed inside to grab her phone to see that it was an unknown caller. Finding it strange that it was unknown caller calling her, Blair thought for a moment as to who it could be but nothing came to her mind. Putting her phone back down, Blair looked on at the phone once more before saw that it began to ring again. Grabbing the phone, Blair looked on to see that it was once again an unknown caller calling her.

"Hello" Blair answered the phone as she heard the sounds of music glaring in the back ground "Hello" she said once more as the silence continued to grow before a name suddenly registered to her as to who could be calling "Dan" she said as her final attempt on guessing on who it was while he just felt some bit of hope that he was still on her mind. Dan wanted to say something, he had worked it out in his mind that he would but no words manage to come as all he needed in that moment was to hear her. "….I know it's hard but it has to be this way. I'm not doing this to hurt you, you have to believe me on this…I don't want to keep hurting you" she said as tears began to well up in her eyes "Say something!?" she declared as she wiped away tears from her eyes before he finally ended the call.

* * *

Tucking the phone away in his pocket, Dan wiped away the tears that were welling up in his eyes. Dan had hoped that hearing her voice would entice some anger in him to just forget her and blame it all on her but he couldn't. Dan missed her. Dan wanted her back, but he knew he had nothing left to offer to make it seem like they could be different and that seemed to be the part that killed him the most, he couldn't give her the things she needed and it was a long time coming but it was something coming since they began. Hating that he needed to leave and that he would be leaving the band behind, Dan quickly made his way through the backstage area before he made it out in to the open fields of the concert area. Nearly running towards the parking lot, Dan bumped in to what looked like to be Carter to him.

"Carter!?" Dan said as he turned back to see Vanessa and Carter

"Oh, thank God we found you" Carter said before he quickly ran up towards Dan to check him "Your eyes are red….what drugs were you taking?….it doesn't matter, we'll sober you up and possibly stop by the hospital because who knows what they put in these experimental drugs" he babbled

"What are you talking about?!" Dan asked as he moved Carter's hand away

"I'm talking about you coming to a party called The Org" Carter stated

"Did you come to get high?" Vanessa asked with concern as she walked up towards them

"What?! No" Dan replied

"Oh, this is clearly the drugs kicking in. This is denial at it's first phase, I know this, we might need to get Dr. Phil on speed dial for an intervention….it's okay to want a ecstasy release from the problems" Carter told him as he gripped the sides of his face "But you have to let the pink, yellow, green, whatever color it is pills go….you're not going to be some druggie. I'm here to stop you from being some drug addict." he told him

"Drug addict? Carter what the hell are you talking about?" Dan questioned

"You came to the biggest drug fest in New York, why else would you be here?" Carter said

"Because I was helping Jeremy set up. He's in one of the bands that are playing tonight, he paid me a hundred to help and I sort of need the money" Dan told him

"So you're not looking for some drug comfort?" Vanessa asked

"I don't do drugs. Why would I do drugs? Dan asked

"Oh, I don't know…maybe because you're so damn heartbroken that he needs to be saved. Carter! I can't believe you brought me out to this drug fest off of suspicions" Vanessa said before she hit Carter on the arm

"Okay, I may have blown things out of proportion" Carter reasoned as he dodged Vanessa's hits

"You think" Vanessa replied "C'mon let's go because it's starting to get cold out here and I'm hungry" she said

"I told you I would buy you food" Carter reasoned

"I'm not taking a rocket hot dog or any sort of food item at this place" Vanessa said as she lead the way up the hill towards the parking lot while the boys followed behind her

"You know this is your fault, right?" Carter told Dan as they climbed the hill

"How is this my fault?" Dan questioned "You're the dumbass that thinks I'd come all the way out to the outskirts of New York to get high. I could just do that in New York, we went to school with a bunch stoners….hello, does Nate Archibald not ring a bell to you" he said

"All right, I get it" Carter replied "Let's just focus on this damn hill, my legs feel like I'm on a stairmaster" he said nearly getting out of breath

* * *

Skipping rocks onto the street as the music from inside the club played loud enough for him to hear, Sean couldn't help but feel upset that he had managed to waste a perfectly good Saturday night. He wanted to be furious but the tiredness had begun to kick in and took away all of his energy to be upset. How did he manage to get stuck babysitting and looking after someone else's girlfriend? He questioned himself as he tried to find some way to build up the nerves to walk away from the situation that he was in. Ever since he was a little kid, Sean had always wanted to play professional basketball while Tyler was eager to be a journalist. Since they were kids it was just always something that they each knew, they both wanted and had the opportunities to be what they wanted in life. He'd be the best in his position as a power forward but in the professional leagues, he was just one guy that was good amongst the hundreds that were good as well. Hearing her laughter, Sean looked over his shoulder to see that it was Serena coming out of the club with her group of friends. Rising to his feet, Sean walked towards her and her friends.

"Can we talk?" Sean asked

"Go home Sean" Serena said as she stopped to pose with a fan of hers while the girls stood off trying to locate another after party

"I need to talk to you…at least make sure you get home all right" Sean told her as she continued to ignore him

"I don't need you to hang around" Serena replied as she finished with her picture taking "I'm with friends, so I'm not alone and I don't want to be bothered with you" she said being as cold as possible so that he would understand her anger

"I'm sorry" Sean told her as it seemed to put a stillness on her anger for a moment as they exchanged a look "Can we just talk?" he asked as she sighed

"Guys, I'll catch up to you later. I'm going to let him take me home" Serena told the girls before they walked off and got into the taxi. "Do you have a reasoning behind your statement?" she asked as she folded her arms

"I know that it seems like you're being passed around like property, which is wrong but I'm sorry for my part in it. I'm sorry for treating you like you with respect" Sean told her as she was receptive to his apology

"Sounds good, go on" Serena told him as they began to walk

"Look, I don't like taking you out…" Sean began to say as Serena stopped quickly to glare at him "I meant that I don't like taking out someone else's girl because that's just weird and I'm not sure why you let him do that. I hate the situation because I would at least think that a girl like you should have guys fighting to take her out let alone planning every moment that had you in it" he told her

"I know this sounds pathetic and crazy, but I understand him" Serena told him "I know what it's like to have expectations put on you and have people think that you're only a certain type of person. I just…I want to be different for him. I want to prove that I'm not with him because he's Jason Peters but because of him as a person and I think he fears that at times" she said

"So if we potentially keep going out together, you'll still understand him?" Sean questioned

"We won't keep going out together. This is all just temporary and because he happens to trust you" Serena said "I mean don't think I don't notice what you stand to gain from all of this" she pointed out to him

"He's a teammate and I'm so far down on the bench that…" Sean began to say

"I get it. I get it" Serena laughed "As long as you treat me with respect and not some child, then I'll be sure to make sure this isn't some hell like experience for you. I mean we could do things that you like if it'll make it easier to be around me" she said

"See, that's what I'm talking about. The clubs and stuff are fun but it's not my type of scene. Maybe you should do play station or x-box events" Sean suggested to her

"Okay, no" Serena laughed "But since we're on the wave lengths of gaming systems, I do enjoy a good round of Guitar Hero" she told him as they hailed down a taxi

"Guitar Hero" Sean laughed

"Hey, don't knock it until you tried it" Serena told them as the taxi pulled up and Sean opened the door for her to get in before he got in himself.

* * *

Opening the door, Carter took in the full sight of Dan's living condition as not one bit of trash seemed to be picked up for any type of cleaning. Walking through the trash like it was just so casual and natural, Dan walked in to the kitchen to grab two beers out of the fridge while Carter tried to find the safest way over towards the sofa without picking up some sort of disease along the way. Never in his life had he seen Dan live in such conditions because Dan was usually some bit of a clean freak. Carter remembered times he'd be more concerned about the cleaning than Dorota would at times when he'd come by the Waldorf penthouse. Taking a seat on the sofa, Carter reached up to grab the beer that Dan was handing to him before Dan walked over to flop down on the chair across from Carter as they just sat in silence for a bit. Carter wanted to make his usual crude joke that Dan was accustomed to him doing but he figured that things were too different to just start off acting like they were back to normal when they still had a ways to go.

"This is the first time I've actually ever been in your place" Carter said as he looked around

"I thought you came to the house warming party?" Dan asked as he put his legs up on the coffee table

"Nope, you were kind of pissed at me at that point. Though watching those TMZ clips made me feel like I was there" Carter laughed

"That was a crazy night, I don't even think it was truly about the house….it was just Blair's vendetta against Tyler" Dan sighed as he traced the rim of his bottle with his finger before a silence came between them "Why'd you do it? Why'd you take the blame for the book?" he asked

"It was the asshole in me" Carter laughed

"I'm being serious. Why do it? We weren't in the best of terms and it was clearly my thoughts…why did you take credit for it?" Dan asked

"Because of all those things. I knew that you had truth in your words and I also knew that no one in this world would ever open up to admitting that what you said or thought was correct. People don't like truth, we'd pay a million dollars to hear a lie than to hear truth…and it's sad. I wanted to protect your right to that truth because I believe that you have something valuable to say" Carter told him in a honest moment between the two

"Sooner or later its going to come out that I wrote the book, what then?" Dan asked

"I don't know, maybe I'll be rich off of being the best liar…I might get a movie deal for my superb acting" Carter laughed "But I never did it to hurt you or take any bit of spotlight from you. I did it because regardless of where we stand, you're still my best friend…that's the only aspect about me that hasn't changed" he told him

"Thank you for what you did. I know I didn't see it at the time, but I appreciated what you did" Dan told him after a moment of silence came between them

"Hey, I could be the one you needed all along. I mean Waldorf, she was fun and crazy, but we're the true bromance" Carter joked as Dan couldn't help but laugh as only Carter would say something so out of whack that it actually was funny "I'll be your Denny's, open 24 hours, 7 days a week" he continued to joke

"Oh, wow! That was corny and bad all in one" Dan laughed which he found to be refreshing since he hadn't done that in a while.

"How have you been handling the break up? I mean you've been off the radar for a month but...is it getting better?" Carter asked

"It something that I haven't quite gotten use to. I know that we're not together but I just...I feel like we're still connected and that's the part that hurts" Dan sighed "I know that in the end that we wouldn't have worked because she's Upper Eastside and I'm the Brooklyn boy" he said

"People fall for people that are different than each other all the time, point in case, I like your friend Vanessa" Carter told him

"Yes, but I knew that this is like fighting fate. Fighting something that is bound to happen" Dan told him "I felt her slipping away and for the most part, I let her slip away. The book wasn't the main reason we broke up, but it was a good enough reason for us both to use as the scape goat. She wants her career and I just want to stop disappointing her, so now...we have our peace of mind" he smiled weakly as he held his bottle up

* * *

It was well in to the next morning when the town car pulled up in front of Damien's suite. Catching some bit of sleep after the long night he had, Tyler slowly sat up in his seat and began to rub the sleep out of his eyes while Damien chatted away with the driver. Hearing him make arrangements for another party with the driver that he would be attending that night, Tyler grew tired of even sitting next to the guy before he finally just opened up the door and let himself out. Walking towards the sidewalk, Tyler looked on to gage how long it might take for him to walk home before Damien quickly got out the car to run behind him. Hearing his name being called, Tyler kept walking with no intention of stopping as the closest place would be The Waldorf Penthouse.

"Will you wait?" Damien asked as he ran up to him

"Why should I?" Tyler asked "You're wasting my time. You're useless" he stated

"You need me" Damien replied

"No, I need a shower and coffee. I don't need some rich kid that can't keep his pants up and dollars in his bank account" Tyler replied

"Clever word play" Damien laughed

"Watch me continue to be clever because I'm not chasing after you anymore. You might as well go back to where ever you came from because I don't need you and I will find another source" Tyler said before Damien ran in front of him

"I'm the only source you have on this story" Damien told him

"I'm a smart guy. I will find sources" Tyler told him

"Not like me. Look, this is home. I'm not home a lot so I just wanted to have a bit of fun" Damien said flashing his million dollar smile, hoping it would get him somewhere but Tyler didn't feel compelled by the slightest to give in

"You don't have family or friends. The whole time you've been here, you've slept in all day and partied all night by yourself. This isn't home for you, this is just another landing spot" Tyler told him

"I didn't have a lot of friends, big deal" Damien replied

"The big deal is that I'm finding it hard to believe that you knew Nate Archibald or anyone for that matter because you currently have no one that is at least the slightest bit of happy that you're back" Tyler told him

"I like to travel alone and be alone, I'm that type of guy" Damien laughed

"Go home, wherever that may be for you" Tyler told him as he once again to continued to walk away

"It was a pay for sex deal" Damien stated as Tyler stopped dead in his tracks before he turned to look back at Damien, who was smiling at the fact that he was able to get his concentration

"Go on" Tyler said as he walked towards Damien

"It was a prostitution ring, but it was mostly a pay for sex deal for certain prominent figures in the political or even the elitist sphere to have their fantasies to come to life" Damien told him

"And how do you know this?" Tyler asked

"I work the under ground circuit because the ties I have due to my father. I get leverage and access because my father is an ambassador to another country while my mother is a U.S. born citizen" Damien said

"Okay, so you get the black market, what ties you to this prostitution ring?" Tyler asked

"Because in the U.S. my family was consider amongst the founding families. I may not have been a Sparks or Waldorf, but my father's position of power gave me birth rights. I found out that the big pay was coming from the arrangement of orchestrated hook ups and I recruited my own prized pieces that helped pay for the finer things" Damien said

"So Nate did this whole pay for sex?" Tyler asked

"You could say, he was part of it" Damien said

"So a rich kid get prostituted out, that doesn't seem like a bad thing. I mean he was just having sex, I hardly think it would be spun so badly to make such a fuss" Tyler reasoned

"It'd be a big fuss if he was having the sex we all thought he would be having" Damien laughed "Nate worked mostly with the male clients I had" he told him "He had sex with them" he stated as Tyler wore a shocked look on his face

* * *

**When you're dreaming with a broken heart **

**The waking up is the hardest part **

**You roll outta bed and down on your knees **

**And for the moment you can hardly breathe **

**Wondering was she really here? **

**Is she standing in my room? **

**No she's not, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone... **

Thousands of miles up in the air, Blair looked out at the night sky as she flew above the clouds. Not knowing where exactly she was looking, Blair just stared out aimlessly as she hoped that somewhere out there in the universe she'd be able to have her happy ending. Blair felt the guilt of her decision as missing him was something she did effortlessly but she couldn't deny that she wanted to find out what she was capable of. The bouts of turbulence would usually scare her but on this trip back home, nothing scared her at all but the fear of regret.

**When you're dreaming with a broken heart The giving up is the hardest part **

**She takes you in with your crying eyes **

**Then all at once you have to say goodbye **

**Wondering could you stay my love? **

**Will you wake up by my side? **

**No she can't, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone... **

Turning the lights off in the bathroom as he finished up with his shower, Dan walked in to the bedroom to see the bed completely made up as she had left it. Dan thought it'd be easy to get back in the bed because he figured that it would be something he'd have to get used to, but the longer he stared at the bed the more he realized that he couldn't. He could see her vividly in this bed, in any open space where they used to lie next to each other. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Dan walked over to turn the lights out in the bedroom as he closed the door behind him.

**Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh **

The driver opened the door for her before Blair got out the car. Making sure to carry her small items with her, Blair looked back to see the driver retrieve her luggage from the trunk of the car as she proceeded to walk into the building. It was late into the night, so no one really knew she had made it back to New York and that left no room for her to be an updated topic of Gossip Girl. Greeting the night staff that was so used to seeing Dan with her, Blair felt the need to make sure she stood out as an individual entity. Boarding the elevator, Blair let out a yawn as the night was finally catching up to her and she sought sleep more than anything. Once the doors opened up, Blair was immediately greeted by Dorota, who welcomed her home with waiting arms. The two had shared minimal conversation as the only thing that Blair wanted to do was go to bed. After a nice long shower, Blair finished putting on the crème to her face as she made her way into her room to get in to her bed. Looking over at the oversized bed, Blair hadn't truly realized it until now that she would now have to get used to sleeping alone. Laying on her side, Blair once again stared out the window just trying to call upon the sleep that she once had but was now fading away.

**Now do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand**

** Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand? **

**Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand? **

**Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand? **

**Baby won't you get them if i did? **

**No you won't, 'cause you're gone, gone, gone, gone, gone... **

With his head hung low as he sat on the sofa, Dan found that sleep was not as easy as he thought it would be. Getting up from his spot on his now sofa bed, Dan walked in to the kitchen and began to lean against the kitchen counter. His eyes burned from the tears he wanted to cry but he wouldn't allow anything to get the best of him. Reaching forward to open up the fridge, Dan grabbed the case of beer that he had left over and opened up one as she just stood and drank, hoping he'd get drunken sleep if anything.

**When you're dreaming with a broken heart **

**The waking up is the hardest part**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter:**

**Neyo- So sick**

**Martin Solveig- The Night Out [Maldeon remix]**

**John Mayer- Dreaming with a Broken Heart**

**Author's Note: So this chapter basically showed them dealing with the break up. Blair is putting all her efforts in to work while Dan is just stuck in a rut. I assure you that he will not have a drinking problem, but alcohol is just his release at the moment. I wanted to make this chapter a bit light because we've had the intense. Everyone else's storylines will start to progress to keep pace, so it's nice to hear that Sean/Serena/Jason are getting some comments then Chuck/Jenny are getting some interest.**

**I wish I could upload all the chapters at once like you guys want, but I need to get the feedback. I like reading and gaging what you guys are thinking. I absolutely love the speculation reviews I get because sometimes they are spot on then sometime they're not quite. I will say that only one person has read the entire story, and they've given me a tagline for my finale "Shit Gets Crazier". Not my tagline, but I thought it was funny.**

**Dan won't be in his rut for much long, but you guys will enjoy the next chapter and Chapter Fourteen will be big for Dan and Blair. So hang in there until then because that's when it really picks up with them.**


	13. The Sixteen Year Old Virgin

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews. I feel like I always tell you guys this, but I love gettting feedback. I'll be hanging with friends and will stop in mid conversation just to read a review. My friends used to hate it because my attention would shift so quick but whatever, I loves my readers plus they get sneak peeks so you guys get my undivided attention. I hope you enjoy the chapter and again I look forward to your feedback.**

**I had so many questions sent my way that I wanted to address them so I wrote them down and will answer them. If you don't care to hear the answers then you can go to the chapter [I will take no offense] but I love the questions, and if you have them please feel free to ask** **me**.

* * *

**AUTHOR ADDRESS**

**HOW LONG HAVE DAN/BLAIR BEEN BROKEN UP?- **_Dan and Blair were broken up for a month in Chapter Eleven. In this chapter it's been close to two months._

**__WHY DIDN'T I HAVE RUFUS/LILLY GET TOGETHER ROMANTICALLY? _  
_**_I didn't have Rufly get together because that's honestly one of things I think the show did wrong in the beginning because it made Derena's dynamic a bit weird for me. Yes, I was a Derena fan before Dair. I just thought the parents of the show should've served as the voice of reason since it's not really there on the show, and it's a teen show so I didn't want to see the two parents of the two people I wanted to get together be together because I was like that's just awkward. I know Rufus isn't that much of a good parent in my story, but I sort of wrote him that way and then when I read the story back I was like he sucks as a dad. So I had all ready perceived him that way and so I had to continue on that path. I think ultimately I started to fall for Dan/Eleanor's dynamic because of his obvious mother issues then Bart/Dan was a dynamic I wanted to throw together to kind of shake things up with Dan/Chuck. _

**WHEN WILL I DECIDE ON SEASON FOUR REMIX?** _I think I like torturing you guys too much to tell. Jk. I really only decide by the reviews, if I see people are really in to the story I'm just like okay let's get another season. I remember FROM THE BEGINNING hit over 200 reviews and I was like I have to now. So the best way to ensure a remix is by making your voice/feedback heard. I know it's shallow to say as an author but it takes time to write chapter then come up with storylines, so if we get the loyal feedback we'll be inclined to give more. So I can't really say if I have decided on a fourth yet. As of now there's only 7 chapters left.__  
_

**DO THE REST OF NJBC KNOW ABOUT NATE [HIS PROSTITUTION STORYLINE] AND RALLYING TO PROTECT HIM?** _Without giving away too much, I will say that everything I write will come back in some way. My friend calls me the Mad Hatter because the useless things she thought were nothing came back in a major way. So I always little hints or say something that can lead to being used in future storylines and Nate's storyline is one of them. SECOND TIME AROUND, if you go back Katie knew what Nate's secret was. They have a conversation that alludes to his storyline and two people aren't fully aware but had inklings with Nate. So I will say that everything and anything can be used in my stories._

**HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH ALL THESE IDEAS? [NOT TALKING ABOUT THE STORY]** _Music. It's that simple. I listen to music relgiously that I fear one day that I will lose my hearing since when I get sick I always have earaches. I believe that every song has a story, so I just listen to a song and build storylines off them. I listen to everything from rap, hip hop, pop, country, alternative, rock, motown, r&b .I create like a soundtrack to characters and then say this is the path I want them to go through. That's why I always use lyrics in my stories because at the time I was thinking of the section or scene this is what I saw. It's me sharing my vision with you guys. Like this is what songs I had in my head when making storyline;_**_  
_**

**DO I WRITE** **EVERYDAY?**_ Yes. I try to, but I have ADD when writing because I loose focus so easily with sports and wanting a drink. So I'm trying to stay disciplined to keep deadlines and focus._

**DO I HAVE AN IDEA FOR SEASON FOUR?** _Currently I do. I always think ahead even on stories. Like on season two I had ideas for season three. I try to tackle issues and think what character can deal with this or what in this worl would they deal with that a normal person deals with. I think you have to always have ideas ahead to keep the characters interesting and leading to some point so the growth shows in the character._

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Twelve- The Sixteen Year Old Virgin**

* * *

Sitting on their respective sides of the table, Dan and Blair made little eye contact as they had made little contact with each other since the break up for the past month and a half. Since no neutral location lived up to Blair's standards, Dan had agreed to meet up with Blair at the Waldorf Penthouse so that they could discuss the terms of their break up, which Dan found to be crazy but then again it made sense in terms of dealing with Blair. She had dubbed the "The Official Separation Meeting", in which they would discuss what they would divy up and share from their previous relationship together. It had taken on all the tones of a divorce meeting where they had their lawyers in the form of friends. Serena would be Blair's counsel in the meeting while Carter would be Dan's counsel in default since Carter was the closest to the relationship. Dorota felt a bit weird to serve refreshments for The Official Separation Meeting but she had no grounds to go against the meeting since she worked for the family. Like everyone else, Dorota saw it as unreal to have to endure the break up reality of Dan and Blair.

"Is everyone here?" Carter asked as he began to snack on the food that Dorota had laid out

"Where is she?" Blair whispered over towards Serena

"She's on her way" Serena said just as the elevator doors opened up to show Jenny rushing off with backpack and sweater in hand

"You invited my sister to this!?" Dan questioned

"She was neutral" Blair reasoned

"How is she neutral? She's his sister" Carter reasoned "You're all ready screwing up the proceedings with the mediator situation" he said as Blair jotted down something on her notepad before sliding it over for Serena to read

"You really expect me to read this?" Serena questioned as she looked over towards Blair to see that she nodded yes as Serena just sighed and went along with what Blair wanted "If you had a problem with the subpoena then you shouldn't have signed off on it. That's called your fault, not mine" she read

"You actually expected people to read those subpoena's?" Carter questioned

"The sad thing is that she really did" Jenny said as she took a moment to think of what would Blair really want ideology only to come to the craziest of conclusion, which would most likely be the correct one.

"Fine, let's just get it over with" Dan stated before Blair once again jotted down on the notepad to slide over for Serena to read

"If you're not okay with the mediator, then you can appeal" Serena read

"I'm not going to appeal because I just want to get this over with" Dan replied as he leaned back in his chair

"Now that that's settled, shall we proceed?" Jenny asked before she flashed a smile of excitement "I've been watching The Good Wife all week long, I'm so prepared for this" she told them happily as Dan just looked at his sister strangely "Sorry" she told him as she toned down her excitement "Now we're here to discuss the dissolution of the courtship of Daniel Randolph Humphrey…" she began to say

"I object!" Carter declared as he firmly stood up from his chair

"With what?!" Serena asked

"I ask that my clients middle name be stricken from the record because as you can hear, it sounds so bad when put together like that" Carter replied

"Sustained" Blair, Serena, and Jenny agreed as they each took a moment to think

"Now continuing on with my opening, we're here to discuss the dissolution of the courtship of Daniel Humphrey and Blair Cornelia Waldorf. We'll begin with opening statements from the plaintiff" Jenny said as she turned her attention towards Serena and Blair

"Our case is simple, my client wants an amicable split that would show a united front to the media circle that we live in and civil interaction for future purposes" Serena stated as Jenny turned towards Carter

"And the defense?" Jenny asked

"My client is seeking one million in spousal support" Carter stated

"Carter!" Dan groaned

"Fine, my client wants an amicable split as well and all that yada, yada I'm sure Waldorf scripted" Carter agreed

"Okay, so that went well" Jenny smiled "So we'll just go down the line of what and what belongs to who" she said as Dan and Blair nodded in agreement. In this moment, Dan couldn't help but want to just leave as his focus was going everywhere and anywhere but on this meeting.

"My client requests to obtain her beauty supplies…" Serena began to read her list

"Yes, she'll need that" Carter scoffed as he marked it down under okay on his list

"Comforter, linens, wardrobe, and her half of the furniture" Serena stated before Carter tapped Dan on the leg so that he could get his attention

"Do you agree?" Carter whispered as Dan looked over the list before he wrote down his answer

"My client agrees, we just need further clarification on what furniture she would be taking?" Carter asked

"The furniture that I bought" Blair stated like it was common sense

"I object!" Carter quickly declared "I was assured her words would be limited to just three" he stated

"Sustained" Jenny stated as Blair just looked at her in disbelief "What? You signed and agreed" she reasoned before Blair quickly jotted down the furniture she would be taking on her notepad before sliding it over for Serena to see

"The furniture would include the bed, the desk, and the sofa" Serena read

"What?!" Dan quickly stated as he turned his attention towards the meeting as he was now engaged "I bought the sofa" he declared

"I object!" Serena quickly stated "Mr. Humphrey is speaking out of turn" she said

"Sustained" Jenny agreed

"My client is being more than fair by just requesting the meager means of what she entered in with when they decided to move in together" Serena said

"Meager means my ass" Carter replied

"This is stupid" Dan replied as he couldn't manage to oblige the courtroom setting that Blair was trying to go for "Blair, I bought that couch and you know it" he told her

"No, I specifically remember that I bought the sofa in question" Blair replied

"Do you have the affidavit?" Carter asked as Blair looked at him with a bit of surprise "Uh huh, Boston Legal reruns" he gloated

"No, but I assumed that…" Blair began to say

"We can not go off of assumptions your honor" Carter said "If we assume that Santa is real, it doesn't thus make him real" he stated

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Jenny asked as she looked at Carter strangely

"It simply means that until we receive receipts than we ask that the item in question remain in the custody of my client" Carter said

"Oh, that's a load of crap! Dan you know that you never bought that sofa because then that would mean you'd have to go Uptown to a showroom to get it custom made…" Blair said

"And what? I don't have enough class to go uptown to a showroom to get custom made crap?" Dan questioned

"The fact that you just put custom made and crap together in a sentence lets me know that you're belief is crap that you bought the couch. Also, it's called a couch not a damn sofa" Blair stated

"Your honor, the plaintiff is becoming hostile…we may need the fire squad to contain her" Carter declared as he banged down on the table

"Fine, you can have the stupid couch because clearly that's your new bed. That's the only reason you're claiming it" Blair replied as she folded her arms before Dan quickly jotted down something on his notepad before sliding it over for Carter to read "What is he doing?" she whispered over towards Serena

"My client is also requesting to keep the Bergman Steamer" Carter replied as Blair's eyes nearly bulged out of her head

"Hell no!" Blair declared

"Your honor!" Carter quickly declared

"Blair" Jenny said trying to get control over Blair

"You wouldn't know Bergman Steamer if it wasn't for me. I own that! Blair stated as Dan jotted down his response on the notepad to show Carter

"My client says he'd like to see the receipts to prove it, and also…they make his sweatpants crisp and warm, then they keep him from chaffing when things hang low" Carter read as Blair glared over at Dan while he wore a cunning smile on his face.

"A Bergman is not used for sweatpants you ass! And as far as things hanging, not much was hanging low under any circumstance" Blair replied as Dan jotted down his response for Carter to read

"I have to object" Carter laughed "Size is not on trial and that's speaking from one A-cup to another" he said as he turned his attention towards Blair

"I'm not an A-cup!?" Blair declared "I object on grounds of size because clearly I'm a B-cup at best…" she began to say

"Well we'll opt for worst because your chest says otherwise" Carter replied

"Jenny, hold him in contempt or something!" Blair demanded as she rose from his seat

"No, you want to come and play hard ball then you get it right back!" Dan said as he rose from his seat

"Oh, you haven't seen hard ball because I'm just getting started" Blair began to say before she jotted down on her notepad for Serena to read

"My client wants Cedric" Serena read as Carter and Dan just gasped

"Oh, now you're just being evil" Carter commented

"I've had Cedric since I was a kid" Dan reasoned "Jen can be my witness on that" he stated

"Aw, do you have receipts to show?" Blair smiled devilishly

"Then you can't use Jenny as your witness because if we had her relationship terminated early on then it has to carry on throughout the proceedings" Serena reluctantly stated as Dan looked at Jenny to do something

"What grounds do you have for asking for Cedric?" Jenny asked as she looked at Blair

"It may be a shock to some but Dan is well aware of the fact that Cedric and Aubrey are in a monogamous relationship. I hardly think Cedric would comply with remaining with Dan while Aubrey would clearly stay with me…it's a matter of the heart" Blair stated

"Oh c'mon, that's some BS you thought up on the spot" Carter reasoned

"Since Cedric is of legal age, he'll be able to determine who he stays with" Jenny reluctantly stated

"We're talking about a damn doll that was made in China" Serena reasoned

"Okay this is getting a bit out of control, is there anything you guys agree upon?" Jenny asked

"I want the steamer, the sofa, and to keep my cabbage patch doll" Dan stated

"It's a Bergman!" Blair declared "And no, I keep Cedric. Aubrey shouldn't have to suffer through this break up" she declared

"Okay then maybe we should go on recess" Jenny suggested

"Where is Cedric?" Carter questioned as Dan and Blair quickly looked at each other as they waited for the other to make a move. Throwing the tray of snacks at Dan, Blair quickly took off running towards the elevator as he had a late start in running

"Guys!" Jenny called out as Carter, Serena, and Jenny ran behind them

"You're not getting Cedric" Dan said as he barely missed the elevator

"Dan, where are you going?" Carter asked

"To stop her from getting Cedric" Dan said before he quickly boarded the elevator to chase after Blair.

"Should we go after them?" Jenny asked

"Do you really want to get in between them?" Serena questioned

"This could get ugly" Carter sighed

"Right, so the best thing to do is to just stay out of it….have the police on standby, but stay out of it" Serena concluded

* * *

Both cars pulled up in front of the house before Dan and Blair both emerged from their taxi's. Racing up the stairs, Blair began to fumble with her keys as she tried to get the right one in her hand so that it'd be a smooth entry but Dan gaining ground on her made her a bit nervous as she tried to open the door. Finally opening up the door, Blair let herself in before she close the door on Dan's foot. Hearing him groan out in pain, Blair scurried through the trash and into the bedroom to try to find Cedric. Seeking Cedric had been harder than she imagined as Dan had kept the bedroom clean but failed to keep any other portion of the house clean. Coming out of the bedroom, Blair could see Dan making a bee line straight towards the hallway closet to grab the Bergman. Grabbing the nearest item, Blair threw it at Dan to stop him from grabbing the steamer. Attempting to run over towards the office, Dan grabbed Blair by the waist before he pulled her back so that he could run in to the kitchen. Torn with continuing her own private search, Blair knew that Dan would lead her to Cedric and everything else if she just followed him. Both ending up in the cabinet searching, Dan and Blair realized that they weren't having any luck on their own. Coming to a stand still, Blair grabbed the sprinkler from the sink while he grabbed the sponge as their choice weapons.

"Give it up Humphrey, you know Cedric is better off with me" Blair stated as she tried to catch her breath

"Never" Dan stated "You will have to go through my dead body to get him" he said

"That can be arranged" Blair replied "What do you even need the Bergman for?" she questioned

"I have my reasons" Dan stated

"Stupid and half assed" Blair quickly replied

"Yeah well, I guess I'll keep the possession of Cedric and The Bergman since you have no clue to where they are. Bet you wish you would've been more domesticated now, huh?" Dan asked with a bit of laughter as he knew he had the upper hand

"You want a 1950's wife then write her in to reality because I will never domesticate myself for someone that doesn't know the true value of a Bergman!" Blair stated

"So what's it going to be? You gonna make your move?" Dan asked

"I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do, I'm not stupid" Blair told him "Only an idiot would fall for that approach" she then added

"Give it up Waldorf!" Dan declared

"You first" Blair said before she quickly turned on the water to squirt him with the water. Quickly blocking the squirts of water she was getting in on him, Dan picked Blair up by the waist as they struggled to get to the knob of the water. Water squirted everywhere causing them to slip as they wrestled about on the ground. At times Dan had to lay off because the way Blair wrestled, it was easy to forget that she was a girl. Finally pinning her down to the ground as he straddled her. Dan and Blair looked on at each other trying to catch their breaths.

**Are you brave enough to let me see you peacock?**

**Don't be a chicken boy, stop acting like a biatch**

**I'm a peace out if you don't give me the pay off**

**Come on baby let me see**

**Whatchu hidin' underneath**

**Are you brave enough to let me see you peacock?**

**Whatchu waiting for, it's time for you to show it off**

**Don't be a shy kinda guy I'll bet it's beautiful**

**Come on baby let me see**

**Whatchu hidin' underneath**

Their eyes locked in on each other as they both looked on at each other wondering what the other was trying to scheme up as means to get to their main objective. Caught up in the heat of the moment, a rush of emotions came over them before Dan crashed his lips on top of hers. Tongues dueled as they battled for control with each other while her hands traveled down to his shirt to relieve him of it. Catching on to what she was doing, Dan broke the kiss to toss his shirt to the side while he wasted no time in trying to rid her of her shirt to see that she was in her lacy maroon bra that he had liked. Their hands were all over each other as no parts of their bodies were off limits. It had been some time even borefor the breakup since they had been this aggressive with each other, but neither backed down from what they wanted. He squeezed her breasts while she squeezed his butt as his hands slowly worked their way down to invade what her panties tried to conceal.

**I wanna see you peacock, cock, cock**

**You peacock, cock**

**You peacock, cock, cock**

**You peacock, cock**

A loud thud could be heard as they slammed against the fridge to where the thought of breaking anything around them was the furthest thing from their minds. Their lips were glued to each other continued to glide over each other animalistically. Belts and pants...her panties, dress straps were all coming down as her dress only served as mid waste garments for her. Dan lifted her leg to his side while Blair lifted the other to lock behind his back as he lifted her into his arms for leverage . Grinding against her as he continued to kiss her, Blair could feel that everything below was beyond the size she had critiqued it of earlier. Breaking the kiss, Blair gave wet kisses all over his face, ear, earlobes, and his neck and shoulder blades. Sliding against the coldness of the fridge, Dan lowered his head to kiss the top of her breasts before he eventually grew tired of the bra contraption that it was in as he relieved her of her bra. Feeling his tongue against each of her breath sent a shiver down her spine as the control was starting to shift in to his favor. Blair kissed his lips slowly by licking his lips first then sliding her tongue between his lips. Exploring his mouth with her tongue, Blair suddenly felt the need to regain some bit of control as her hand travelled down to his boxers to squeeze against his hard member. Groaning into the kiss, Dan pressed his body against hers that he was sure that there was now way that she could escape.

**Oh my God no exaggeration**

**Boy all this time was worth the waiting**

**I just shed a tear**

**I am so unprepared**

**You got the finest architecture**

**End of the rainbow looking treasure**

**Such a sight to see**

**And it's all for me**

Clearing the kitchen top counter, the sounds of dishes and cups breaking as they fell to the floor did little to disturb them from their sexual haze that they were under. Pressing her against the counter to where he was behind her, Dan gripped on to the sides with one hand while the other surrounded her abdomen so that her breasts were resting on his arm. Plunging inside of her to feel how wet she was, Dan let out a loud grunt. Gripping the sides of her to control her body from convulsing from feeling him inisde of her. Dan started to thrust inside of her steadily, increasing his tempo one level higher as he went every few strokes. Their grunts coming together as if they were reaching a crescendo, Blair sensing her orgasm approaching her grunts changed to mild screams. Her hand moved back to the back of his neck while he kept his steady pace. His pace was constant as if he focused in on precision and stability. Biting down on her tongue, Blair hung her head as the torture of pleasure was getting to her. Blairs fingers dug in to the flesh of his arms and neck as he continued his assault on her to the point where she thought he was being mean on purpose. Going and going and going and going until soon, Blair let out a loud scream.

**Are you brave enough to let me see you peacock?**

**Don't be a chicken boy, stop acting like a biatch**

**I'm a peace out if you don't give me the pay off**

**Come on baby let me see**

**Whatchu hidin' underneath**

**Are you brave enough to let me see you peacock?**

**Whatchu waiting for, it's time for you to show it off**

**Don't be a shy kinda guy I'll bet it's beautiful**

**Come on baby let me see**

Blair's head rested back on his shoulder as they both took a moment to catch their breaths. Kissing the back of her neck, Dan found that each taste he had of her only made him yearn for more. His hands travelled to her waste while he tilted his face to lean forward to kiss her lips before the slight tug of his hand on her waste let her know of what he wanted. Turning around to face him, Dan once again captured her lips with his as he took his hand down the sides of her legs to lift one up around hsi waste. Entering inside of her slowly as they continued to kiss, Dan thrusted in and out. Resting her arm around his neck, Blair tried to focus in on kissing him but found the rollercoaster of emotions coarse through her body. His free hand gripped her butt at times as he pressed against her. Feeling his speed pick up, Blair hid her face in the crook of his neck before he felt his release.

**I wanna see you peacock, cock, cock**

**You peacock, cock**

**I wanna see ya**

**You peacock, cock, cock**

**You peacock**

**I wanna see you peacock, cock, cock**

**You peacock, cockI wanna see ya**

Catching their breaths, Dan let go of her leg as they knew that what they had just done was probably the most aggressive they had ever been with each other. Though each time was different, they felt the sexual frustrations between them and would soon have to deal with their eruption. Forgetting that the ground was wet from their earlier water fight with each other, Dan attempted to step away but found that his step had turned into a slip that happened to bring Blair down on the floor with him.

**Come on baby let me see**

**Whatchu hidin' underneath**

* * *

Tossing the mini basketball back and forth in his hand, Sean sat watching Tyler pace the floor back and forth as he went through information that was sent over to him earlier. Not quite sure what was going on, Sean prepared to wait until Tyler would finally explain what had him so antsy. If there was anything that Sean knew about his best friend, it was that when he got deep in his research mode there was no breaking him out of it until he was good and well to come out of it. Flipping through the records that he had received of Damien's book that he kept on his intake of money from his self run prostitution ring, Tyler found this story to be just be stranger and stranger as the time passed. Getting up from his seat, Sean tucked his basketball under his arm as he headed in to the kitchen to grab some chips and a soda. Coming to a stop, Tyler finally took a moment to put voice to his thoughts just as Sean came back in to the living room area to take a seat on the sofa.

"This doesn't make sense" Tyler sighed

"What doesn't?" Sean asked a he chomped on his food

"All of this" Tyler said as he held up his stack of papers in hand

"You do know that I have no clue as to what you're talking about, right?" Sean asked

"The story I'm working on, the whole Archibald story" Tyler said "I talked with my source that came in and he told me that Nate was having sex with the male clients that he had in the prostitution ring" he said as Sean paused for a moment to picture that

"No, I can't see it. Nathaniel Archibald looks to Abercrombie and…oh, I can see it now" Sean said as he had a moment of thought to think it through "But I don't get it, why would he be trickin' for cash in some prostitution ring?" he then asked

"Well it's not like he can come out in the open with him hooking up with guys in the political sphere" Tyler replied

"Maybe it was a tactic, maybe it was something the whole family set up to where he slept with competition to get inside information. Pillow talk could've been each other's 401K plans that each candidate decided to propose" Sean suggested as he couldn't help but laugh to himself in the end

"You could be right" Tyler agreed

"To the 401k plan?" Sean asked

"To the inside information. I mean it would make sense, The Archibald's have been damn near pristine in the race. They've modeled everything every other candidate fails to even strive to be. Whoring out the youngest Archibald would be demented but I wouldn't put it out of the realm of possibility of happening" Tyler said as he threw out ideas

"Who exactly was he sleeping with?" Sean asked

"I don't know. I only have the transaction list as far as how much he received from him" Tyler said as he handed Sean the paper

"I could be a journalist with how much I help I give you" Sean scoffed as he looked on at the papers

"You might have to be with how far down you are on the bench" Tyler joked while Sean read the information

"Okay, here's something…there was a regular transaction of twelve hundred, damn that's a lot for sex…" Sean began to say

"Focus" Tyler told him

"Sorry, I just would never imagine myself paying such high amounts for such quickies" Sean replied "But on this list, it shows that there was a regular transaction on what appears to be every Friday for three months straight…" he said

"Summer months" Tyler then added

"The other prices are different but this one remains the same, I'm thinking this price was set for one person. It's like catering to your loyal customers" Sean said

"But I only have the card numbers along with the amount paid" Tyler reasoned

"Ty, have you forgotten the many criminals we went to school with. Call up Rome and have him track the card number, if there's anyone that can crack that it'd be him" Sean said just as his cell phone began to go off, reaching in to his pocket, Sean pulled out his cell phone to see that it was his alarm going off "And I've got to go" he told Tyler as he got up from his seat

"Where are you going? I thought you were going to help me crack the case?" Tyler asked

"The only thing I plan to crack is my dry spell in the getting' some department. I have a date with Rochelle tonight, and I fully intend to capitalize on the Barry White cd that my mom sent over along with a fresh bottle of wine…" Sean began to say as he wore a smile from ear to ear

"Okay, okay. I get the picture" Tyler replied "But if I need your help, I can call you right?" he asked

"Need help, call po po, that's what they're here for" Sean quickly replied as he grabbed his gym bag "It's been real" he said before he walked over towards the door

"We're supposed to be best friends!" Tyler called out

"Not tonight" Sean replied as he closed the door behind him after he left.

* * *

Sitting up on the floor against the cabinets, Dan pulled his boxers up while Blair hooked the clasp of her bra together. Each slowly getting dressed in silence, neither was quite sure what to make of what just happened between them. Dan would look over at her to see if she was willing to break the silence but his coward status wouldn't allow him to be the first to speak. Blair reached out to grab her dress before she brought up to wear it would be a simple slip on over her head. Sitting there trying to keep her focus on the dress, Blair found her glances going over towards Dan as he crawled over to grab his pants. It had become the most torturous of waiting games, just wondering what the other was thinking in a moment where they should've been mature enough to ask. Growing tired of the endless thoughts going through his head, Dan rested his head against the coldness of the cabinets while he just looked on at the scantly dressed brunette with her hair tussled from the sex they had.

"What was this?" Dan asked as she could no longer busy herself with focusing on her zipping her dress up from behind

"It certainly wasn't premeditated if that's what your thinking" Blair replied as a silence came between them

"I can't let you just walk all over me" Dan told her as she just looked over at him

"I'm not trying to but I'd at least expect you to be fair in this" Blair stated

"Fair? You're going after my cabbage patch doll that I've had since I was a kid" Dan reasoned

"And you're going after the only steamer that actually lives up to its advertise shelf life" Blair exclaimed as Dan just laughed to himself as she seemed to really be concerned about the steamer "And that's funny to you?" she questioned

"Very much so. I mean the secret behind the woman is….Bergman Steamer" Dan joked as Blair got up from the floor

"You can laugh all you want to, it's just freakin hilarious but I'm not backing down on the things that are rightfully mine. I was playing nice earlier but now…I'm going after everything I can get my hands on" Blair replied

"Then you better get bigger hands because you're not walking out this door with anything that belongs to me" Dan told her as he got up from the floor

"Watch me" Blair replied as she looked him dead in the eyes as they each stood their grounds in this battle. "Shouldn't you be at work anyways?" she then asked

"Nope, I quit" Dan quickly replied

"And why doesn't that surprise me. Anything involving you growing up you seem to run from that" Blair laughed to herself in disbelief "It's the Humphrey way. If it doesn't go as intended then you sulk and get mad" she added

"Yep, that's me down to the bone sweetheart" Dan replied sarcastically

"You're really a jackass, you know. Instead of being a man and sucking up your pride to provide for yourself….you let your pride get the best of you. How are you going to pay your bills, your rent, your tuition!?" Blair questioned

"I guess that's my problem, not yours" Dan replied as Blair just realized that she'd be wasting her time in scolding someone that didn't want to listen in the first place.

"I'm going to take a shower…I don't want the filth of this place to stick to my body" Blair said as she glared at Dan

"By all means your royal highness" Dan said as he motioned for her to go ahead towards the bathroom "Save the water, I own that too since I pay the water bill and all" he called out as Blair walked off towards the bathroom.

_**Moments Later…**_

Tossing her under garments towards the side, Blair wiped the steam from the mirror that the shower was letting off. Wrestling with the idea of pinning her hair up, Blair wanted to but then questioned if Humphrey even kept any of her hair ties in the bathroom anymore. Peaking in the shower to see that she still had her shampoo inside, Blair just resided to taking the full cleaning measurements and just shampooing her hair. Stepping in to the shower, Blair engulfed herself in to the warmth of the water as she let it run down her body. Letting the warmth massage the top of her head, Blair ran her hand through her hair before she reached out for the loofa to begin to apply her shower gel to it. Rubbing her naked frame, the soap began to foam up on her body. Continuing to lather her body up, Blair soon felt his hand in which the loofa was in was covered with his hands. A part of her felt alarmed but she was so familiar with his presence that she was willing to let this play out. Lowering their hands down to her private area, Dan began to massage the area slowly and sensually. Biting down on her bottom lip of the sensation that she was feeling, Blair tried to keep herself composed but found it hard to do so. Her head rested back on his shoulders as he continued his massage in her most prized area. Feeling the tension from both of her bodies, Blair tried to fight the heat between them but found that she just wanted to give in so badly. Turning around slowly, Dan tossed the loofa to the side as their bodies collapsed together against the tile in the shower. Lips entangled in each other, Dan broke away to begin his assault on her neck.

"We can't do this" Blair moaned before Dan broke away from his wet kisses on her neck to look at her. Water dripping down his face and all over their naked bodies, Blair's heart raced faster and faster as his naked frame still had it's effect on her.

"I don't like being called a jackass" Dan told her as he ran his hands along the sides of her arm

"Noted" Blair said as she shook her head to heed his statement before she pulled him in to an animalistic kiss so that they could get to what they both ultimately wanted.

**Love after war **

Sitting against the backboard of the bed, Dan found himself helplessly trapped in between her arms but it wasn't like he was complaining. Holding on to both sides of her waist as she straddled him. Leaving wet kisses along his neck, Dan began to run his hands along her back before she made the journey to his lips. Clothes didn't seem to be the requirement between them as the only garments they managed to get into after their shower were the under garments, she her bra and panties and him in his boxers. Seductively teasing his lips, Blair bit down on his bottom lip before her eyes traveled up to take in his facial expressions.

"The bed is mine" Blair told him as she looked him dead in the eyes as she pulled back to look at him fully.

"We'll see about that" Dan said before he captured her lips with his as he leaned forward to lay her back on the very bed they were fighting over. Pinning her hands back, Dan lifted her leg so that it could wrap around his waist before his free had slid her panties to the side.

"There's nothing to talk about Humphrey" Blair told him sternly before he plunged inside of her. Clenching on to his shoulders, Blair swore that she could've ripped his skin from the sensations that shot through her body. Slowly moving inside of her, Dan looked down at her as he wanted to see exactly how he was making her feel.

"First one to scream" Dan said in a heavy voice before he dove deeper in to her so that he would force her to scream out. Bringing her hand up to her, Blair tried to bite down on her fist. "No, no. No cheats" he whispered as he hid his face in the crook of her neck while he continued to thrust harder and harder inside of her.

**Ooh it's a knock-out baby, you won the fight**

**I said I'm sorry that I acted like a selfish child**

**Please forgive me baby, I was out of line**

**You know I can make it right**

**Don't you love it when we fight**

Sifting through the dvd's, Dan put his in one pile while he tossed her dvd's to the side while Blair did her best to unplug and unhook her dvd player. Becoming frustrated with all the wires that prevented her from claiming her dvd player, Blair put the machine down before she folded her arms in frustration. Hearing the clashing sounds of her movies hitting the floor as Dan sat in the chair going through their joint movie collection they had built up. Thinking he had lost his mind with some of the movies he was so carelessly throwing around, Blair attempted to pick them up while he continued to toss them. Once he came to a stop, Dan smiled proudly at her.

"Now that's my definition of separation" Dan told her

"You broke at least two of my movies Humphrey!" Blair told him as she hit him on the arm while he just laughed "This isn't funny….jerk" she said as she scoffed on the last word.

"Accidents happen" Dan said as he attempted to get up but she had held up her hand to stop him. Looking down at her petite hand, Dan wondered how she intended to make him redeem himself for what she viewed as a wrong. Pushing him back down on the chair, Blair quickly straddled him as once again Dan got caught up in the glorious sight of her body. Blair's hands traveled beneath his boxer as she began to stroke his member vigorously.

"You up for a game of hard ball…game on babe" Blair whispered in his ear as her hips joined in with her hand to grind against him. Trying his best to keep it together, Dan attempted to fight through the pleasure she was forcing him to feel. Grabbing a fist full of hair from the back of his head, Blair leaned forward as she tilted his head back "No, no" she said as she leaned in close to him "First one to scream remember…I want you to feel everything" she whispered before she licked his lips. Groaning in frustration, Dan attacked her mouth as feverishly kissed her. Lifting up slightly in the chair, Blair tugged at his boxers to where he was fully exposed. Within in a matter of minutes the creaking sounds of the chair going back and forth violently as they pounded in to each other.

**(Love after war)I need you tonight baby**

**(Love after war)Come on and let me make it right baby**

**(Love after war)I'm knockin' on your door**

**(Love after war)You know I want it, you know I want that**

Going through their files one by one, Blair clicked and dragged all the files that belonged to her on to her USB. Standing in the doorway, Dan leaned against the wood frame as he chewed his apple. Knowing that he was watching her closely in case she tried anything, Blair teased the idea of deleting his document files. Slowly easing forward with each possible threat that she gave to him, Blair turned around to meet Dan's glare. Sporting the oversized t-shirt that she had bought him as her seductive choice of clothing, Blair stood up from her seat at the desk with her USB in hand.

"All there's left in here is for me to get my printer" Blair said as she watched Dan walk towards her

"There's only one problem" Dan told her

"And what's that?" Blair asked as he walked up towards to where she could feel his breath on her. Dan traced the outline of her arm to where the USB was to where he could feel goose bumps arise on her arm.

"This here…" Dan said as he lifted her hand up "This is mine" he smiled as Blair looked over at the USB to see that it was fact his. "Honest mistake, huh?" he asked teasingly before he leaned down to pick her up to put on the desk

"This is mine" Blair said as he pulled the shirt over her head as he got in between her legs

"The nails in the desk to put it together, those are mine sweetheart" Dan told her "And you can bet I have receipts for that" he told her

"Yada, yada. Get on with it Humphrey" Blair told him as he pulled her close. She leaned back using her arms to support her weight as he pulled her down to his waist. Then he stepped back to admire her. Answering her pleas he began to remove the very item that seemed to be going on an elevator motion of a ride by going up and down, exposing his exquisite hard member. "I was wrong by about an inch or two" she said as she looked on at his erection

"Maybe three" Dan told her as his body wedged between her thighs and she sat up pushing her body close to his. His fingers probed her, feeling the hot moisture there, rubbing her g-spot and feeling it get larger with every stroke he got her closer and closer.

"Three's a stretch" Blair breathed before she pushed all her body weight against his causing them to fall to the floor.

**Caught in lies, girl's cry, doors slam and broken lights**

**Bottles hit the TV screen**

**You gotta go, or I'm gonna leave**

**Throwing clothes into the yard**

**When we go we go so hard**

**It only makes me want you more, more, more**

Grabbing her plates and dishes, Blair placed them in her boxes that she had by the door while he walked in the opposite direction taking the plates that he believed to be his out of the box. Continuing on with their paths, it was until the fifth trip that Blair realized that her box was becoming smaller rather than large enough to open up a second box. Turning around quickly, Blair bumped in to Dan as he hadn't realized that they stopped their routine.

"Those are mine" Blair declared

"I got those from my house, nice try" Dan told her "Besides I'm not quire sure how someone who can't really cook would have bought so much plates" he told her

"You don't have to know how to cook to buy plates" Blair replied

"Maybe not, but it sure would've made things better between us if you did…know how to cook and all" Dan told her before she quickly slapped him across the face. Their hearts raced a thousand miles per minute as they glared at each other, but it didn't take long for them to have their engines revved up once more. Attacking each other, their lips collided as Blair put arms around his neck to lead him in to the closet that happened to be the closest place for them to go. "My hangers" he said as he turned her around up against the wall while he quickly slid his boxers down.

"My clothes" Blair quickly replied before she let out a little screech from the force of his cock filling her. Her muscles there tightened as she sucked in a deep breath. As if it had a will of its own, her body responded, her hips moving back and forth, feeling the friction on her g-spot. His body responded with the same rhythmic motions, moving away just far enough, then plunging deep inside feeling her cervix. Each time there was a slapping sound from his pelvis banging against her butt. With each hard thrust, she let out a moan. Her teeth dug into her hand as she felt herself getting closer to climax. His hands reached for her hair, pulling harder as he got closer to release, making her own arousal more intense. His sweat dripped on the small of her back, turning cold from the air-conditioned room, and sending goose bumps down her spine. He leaned forward, his chest on her back, the smell of their sex and sweat mingling together. He began to move his hips faster, plunging deep and hard inside of her. Her moans got louder and louder and louder and louder and louder and louder. She could feel herself about to release again. Right as he plunged deep inside of her releasing his juices, he bit down on her back right below her shoulder. At that moment, pain became pleasure and shivers went through her body.

**(Love after war)I need you tonight baby**

**(Love after war)Come on and let me make it right baby**

**(Love after war)I'm knockin' on your door**

**(Love after war)You know I want it.**

Laying her back against the sofa with their lips firmly attached, Dan ripped away from her lips as he began to kiss her neck. Leading a trail down from her neck to the top her breast, Blair's back arched with desire that she felt for him in that moment. Through the valley of her breasts, Dan continued his journey down her stomach before he reached the covered region. Licking the outline of her panties bother up and in between, Dan looked up at Blair to see that she was in full anticipation for his next move.

"There's no convincing me. It's mine. This sofa is mine" Blair replied nervously as he brought both of his hands up along the sides of each leg slowly. Grabbing both sides of her panties, Dan pulled them down slowly as all she could do was feel her thoughts go haywire. "This won't work on me Humphrey. I'm rock solid on this…." she said

"We'll see about that" Dan smiled devilish as Dan prepared himself to go under, throwing the blanket around his back, Dan lowered himself

"Nothing changes. I guaran…" Blair began to say before she let out a moan as she felt his tongue plunge inside of her as he began his work below. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she rested the back of her head on the arm of the sofa. With her mouth opened, moans escaped her as her eyes slowly close to take in the full pleasure she was receiving in the moment. "Oh God you're amazing" she heavily breathed hoping that he hadn't heard her as continued to invade every bit of her. Her head wouldn't manage to stay contained as it went from side to side while he breathing intensified. Just as she got lost in the sensations she was feeling, Blair was brought back down from her pleasure haze by the sound of her cell phone going off. Hoping that he'd stop once he heard the sound, Dan kept going. Knowing that he was torturing her at this point, Blair was forced to choose between making him stop or letting him continue on. Reaching out for her phone, Blair had made the decision to keep things as they were and she'd simply make the phone call quick as she answered "Hello" she breathed

"Ms. Blair, I worry about you and Mr. Humphrey….I hope that you two are not in bitter fight" Dorota quickly spoke of her worry as she paced the floor

"We're…we're not fighting" Blair replied as she looked down to see his head bob up and down before she freely let her head fall back

"Then are you doing okay?" Dorota asked as she couldn't help but notice the moans that were escaping Blair on the phone

"Fine…just fine. I have to go" Blair said trying to end the call so that it wouldn't be too obvious as to what was going on

"Do you need help?" Dorota asked

"Not with this" Blair replied as she bit down on her lip as she felt herself coming near

"Just tell me what to do? I will do whatever Mr. Humphrey or you need me to do" Dorota said making her allegiance known

"Just hang up" Blair said trying to end the call as she knew it was a matter of time

"I won't, not until you tell me what I help with. I want to show no sides in this separation" Dorota stated

"Sounds good, goodbye" Blair breathed

"Ms. Blair…" Dorota began to say

"Yes, yes, yes!" Blair cried out as she clenched her eyes closed as she rode her orgasm

"But I haven't even asked question" Dorota replied awkwardly

"Oh, God!" Blair exclaimed as she went on her second orgasm

"I don't mean to annoy" Dorota replied as Blair began to block out her words with each orgasm Humphrey sent surging through her body. "I need to know will you be out again for dinner" she then said

"What?" Blair asked as some bit of her came back to reality before another wave of orgasms hit her

"Are you coming?!" Dorota asked as Blair felt an instant rush of embarrassment with the question and what she was currently

"Dorota, I can't talk right now. Bye" Blair said quickly before she ended the call

"Dorota? What did she want?" Dan asked as he peaked his head up to look at Blair

"Nothing. Now as you were" Blair said as she pushed his head back down

**Don't you leaveThat's all we need**

**All we need**

**That's all we need**

**That's all we need**

* * *

Enjoying dinner with Rochelle, Sean couldn't help but feel like things were going well and that even later it will get better. On occasion, Rochelle would ask questions as to what position he played on the team and how come she never saw him on the court as much, all of which he dodged like a professional, but for the most part Sean hated that that part of his life he had to lie about. In high school and in college, Sean was always the star on the team as well as the go to guy in the klutch. In his mind he was always the alpha dog, so it was weird to be the lesser of the less. Just as he prepared for their entrée to come out, Sean looked up to see Jason come in with a group of people. Waving over at Jason, Sean wanted to give off the impression that Jason and him were close for Rochelle but Jason's response was that he didn't even see that Sean was waving to him. Rochelle had picked up on the lack of waving from Jason quite yet, so that allowed Sean enough time to pretend like every thing was fine. Just as he put his napkin on his lap once his meal was placed in front of him, Sean could barely pick up his fork before his cell phone went off.

"Hello" Sean sighed as he answered the phone "I'm so sorry about this" he said as he covered the phone

"Hey, I know that you're on your date and all but I wouldn't call unless this was important" Serena quickly stated

"Then don't call" Sean began to say as he attempted to hang up

"I need you to come get me" Serena replied quickly

"What?!" Sean replied in disbelief before he quickly turned away from the table to continue the call "How and why do you need me to come get you?" he whispered

"Jason got held up at a meeting and he was supposed to meet me at fundraiser dinner. I'm sorry but you're the only one who's picked up and it's cold and I just want to go home" Serena told him

"And there's no taxi's where you are?" Sean asked

"I'm in an area I don't know, I thought I could walk and find a train station but…." Serena began to say

"But what?" Sean asked

"I'm scared. I see a bunch of strange people and I'm scared" Serena told him

"Their not strange, their just black. I know that's not typical in your world, but as long as the conversations never enter into O.J., George Bush…" Sean began to say

"Which one?" Serena asked a bit confused

"Both. Black and republicans don't mix quite" Sean told her "So you'll be fine" he told her

"Sean" Serena sighed

"Call your boyfriend, not me" Sean whined

"I would but he's not picking up. Look, I'm sorry…I'll just find my way home" Serena said before Sean's conscience kicked in

"No, no, no" Sean groaned "Just text me where you are and I'll come get you" he sighed in frustration

"Thank you" Serena said feeling like that was the first thing to smile over

"Don't thank me" Sean snapped in annoyance but knew that she didn't take his bark as anything but blowing hot air. "Stay close to your phone. I'll call you when I get in taxi but don't look at anyone or look…look…don't look white" he said trying to find the best word to say

"Okay" Serena replied "How do I not look white? I am white?" she then reasoned

"Just stay put" Sean told her before he ended the call. "I'm sorry but I have to…I have to go comfort Kobe. He's crying over Vanessa again. I think Colorado is catching up to him again" he lied as he wasn't going to waste any chance with hopefully being with Rochelle by the morning time

"Do you need me to come?" Rochelle asked

"No, I got it but I will call you" Sean said as he leaned over to kiss her cheek "I promise" he smiled as he put down some money "Dinner on me as promised" he told her before he walked towards the entrance only to bump in to Jason

"Hey Sean" Jason smiled "A few of the guys and I are having drinks, do you want to join us?" he asked seeming as if he was a bit drunk

"No, I'm good. Serena just called, she needs me to pick her up…do you want to get her?" Sean asked

"I don't think she can see me like this" Jason said as hearing Serena's name sobered him up a bit "Oh, God. I forgot about dinner" he said as it all began to come back to him

"Yeah, she's pretty freaked out" Sean told him as Jason began to stumble around trying to find his footing

"Can you please get her…if she saw me like this then she'd be mad and I just…I needed to blow some steam off after" Jason told him as Sean knew exactly how this would end

"Fine, I'll get her" Sean said as he received a text from Serena to see where she was "She just text" he said

"Hey, can you not mention that you saw me? She'll know I was drunk if I came here and I don't want to upset her" Jason asked

"Fine" Sean sighed as the laundry list of things to do for Jason seemed to grow

"Thanks a lot. I appreciate it" Jason smiled drunkenly

"I aim to please" Sean replied sarcastically

* * *

Clapping for the accomplishment of a member of his group for surviving a years worth of not gambling, Carter couldn't help but envision that it'd be him standing up there someday. It'd be him getting the praise that he wanted or deserved for making it through the difficult aspects. Though it wasn't about the accolades, Carter knew that somewhere along the line he just wanted to know that he was going on some bit of the right path towards something rather than wandering aimlessly. The guy walked back towards his seat as eyes were wiped to hide the tears that were almost or shed during his speech. Settling back in his seat as he prepared for yet another speech, Carter didn't seem to mind about hearing of other people's lives like he usually would. Just as he got comfortable, the leader of the group looked over towards him. Noticing that most of everyone's eyes had shifted towards him.

"Carter, why don't you come up and share your accomplishments?" The Group Leader

"No, it's okay" Carter laughed nervously "I haven't exactly been in this long enough to accomplish anything" he said

"Everyone has a struggle from day to day, the fact that you're awake and talking….that's an accomplishment because I assure you that today, someone, somewhere wasn't blessed with the same fortune" The group leader told him.

"Kind of hard for a guy to say no after that sentiment" Carter laughed nervously as he slowly rose from his seat. Rolling up the paper that was in his hands, Carter could feel his hands dampen from the nervousness he was feeling.

"There's no judgments here, just truth" The group leader told him as Carter took his place in the middle of the circle to take in all the faces that were looking at him from the podium.

"Hi" Carter waved shyly

"Hi Carter" The group said

"My accomplishments…my accomplishments, well I can say that I woke up today that's definitely something I wanted to have happen" Carter said

"Dig deeper" The group leader told him as she took a seat in the spot Carter once sat while the door opened up as someone ducked in the back of the class.

"Uh….I never knew a problem like this existed. I mean I had heard of it but being in the Upper Eastside, money is something you're constantly around that you shouldn't be immune to it. My uncle used to joke that addictions were a poor man's problem and for the most part…I believed that. I know that it doesn't make me look good at the moment but it's truth and I want to be truthful. I hurt people, some worse than others but there's one person that I just can't get out of my head. I think that sometimes that this person has scared me in to going on with the lie that nothing was wrong with me…because I wasn't brave enough to face the fact I did in fact hurt people. I lost my best friend and slowly but surely we're trying to rebuild our friendship, but I know that our friendship will never be the same because of what I did but I figure if I just be there, then he'll have no choice but to forgive me. I disappointed my parents to the point where they find themselves checking things more than once or twice to make sure I didn't steal anything because I'd pawn it and cash in on it, I don't really know the keys of how to making a parent stop being disappointed in you because that's something I never cared about, but now…I care more than anything to have my parents trust me again" Carter said as his eyes began to water while his hands began to shake from the nervousness that was going through his body "Then there's her, the girl I can never say enough sorry's to. Sometimes I imagine what she'd be doing, what college she'd be at? What she'd be studying? What social events would she go to just to see me? How long will she have that most ridiculous crush on me?" he said as the memory brought laughter to him "I think of that, I thought of that but then I ultimately realized that I'll never know and neither would she because I took that from her" he said as began to cry. Around him eyes filled with tears as every emotion he felt others seemed to share with him because they too knew what it was like to hurt those around them "So I guess my accomplishment in all of this is that I've finally had the guts to say I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry Chutney for my actions and that you had to suffer because of it. I'm sorry for treating you the way I did because looking back at it now, I should've been proud to have a girl like your calibur to even notice me" he began to say as there was no dry eye in the room at this point as he looked up above him to show that the person that he was talking to had died "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry" he sobbed as he slowly broke down before he took a moment to get himself together. Rising to their feet, the other members knew that clapping wouldn't have done Carter any good because what he was feeling went far beyond an accomplishment but a realization that his actions had caused those around him to take the brunt of his actions.

One by one, people hugged him and Carter seemed awkward at first but the more hugs he got the more he embraced him because as he had wished before, he finally started to see that accepting and admitting his faults was leading him down the right path. Walking towards the next hug as he headed back to his seat, Carter stood in shock to see that it was his mother along with Vanessa standing there. Looking from his mother to Vanessa, Carter wasn't quite sure of how he should react to this but the boy inside him felt like he was on pins and needles to see how they felt about him. Their eyes were red with the tears as he knew they had been crying, but in a movement that shocked him, Carter's mother walked towards him to hug him."We don't usually do this, the whole thing" Carter laughed as he whispered to his mother

"Maybe we should start" Carter's mother muttered as she held on tight to her son while Vanessa brought her hands to her face to hide the emotions that she was feeling. Extending his hand towards her as he didn't want to let go of his mother, Vanessa grabbed on to his hand as he silently thanked her for this moment regardless of how she found out or how she managed to find his mother, Carter thanked Vanessa for allowing him to have this moment with his mother.

* * *

As the night waned on, Sean looked out to see that they were coming close towards her penthouse building. Sighing tiredly from the night catching up to him, Sean looked over to see that Serena could barely keep her eyes open. Giving her a bit of a nudge to wake her up as the taxi driver pulled up in front of the building, Sean reached back in his wallet to pay the taxi driver before he got out of the car to have Serena follow behind him. Clenching on tight to her thin layered of a jacket, Serena rubbed her arms to make sure that she didn't get too cold as they began to walk inside of the lobby. Walking along with her, Sean opened up the door as the continued to walk towards the elevator. Since the elevators were a bit slow at night, Serena and Sean stood by the elevators waiting to go up.

"I'm sorry about tonight" Serena said full of guilt

"Don't worry about it" Sean sighed

"No, I'm being honest. I'm sorry, I said that I would ease up but I haven't done that" Serena said

"I accept it, I mean I let him put me in this spot" Sean told her "Besides, I'm pretty sure if I get out of here in time, I could get a night cap with said girl" he joked

"Oh, so you're that kind of guy?" Serena asked teasingly

"Every guy is that kind guy" Sean reasoned

"Strangely, I didn't see you as that. I've been around my share of guys and they all seem to have an angle of how they attempt to get in to a girls pants but I never got that impression from you" Serena said

"Well I'm not exactly virginal if that's what you think. Like Jay-Z says, I use my cohonas" Sean told her

"I'm sure" Serena laughed "If you want, I could call your friend and set you up with a dinner or something?" she asked

"I've all ready got it planned on what you'll do. I'm thinking tickets, limos, and maybe a tailor made suit all at your dime" Sean said as Serena just laughed "You can laugh all you want but I do intend for you to follow through because as you can see, I know where you live" he told her before the elevator doors opened up

"I'll be sure to give that to you" Serena smiled "Thank you again for getting me" she said as she walked on to board the elevator

"No thank you, for the amenities that are about to come my way" Sean told her as he just laughed "I may get mad or annoyed when you ask for something, but I'd rather help you out than for something to happen to you" he told her

"Aww, would you have missed me if something did?" Serena smiled as she asked

"Nope, I'd be suspect number one since I'm the last person you called" Sean told her before Serena hit him with her clutch as he just laughed and dodged her hits as the elevator doors closed "Goodnight Serena" he said knowing that she probably heard only a fraction of what he said.

* * *

With his suit tie tied around his wrist from their form of bondage sex, Dan sat against the walls of the hallway while Blair sat across from him trying to catch her breath from the latest round of sex they had had. Loving the sight of her messy hair, Dan couldn't help but let a smile slip as he looked at her before she kicked against his leg. Scratches all over their bodies weren't so uncommon as they had both been quite rough with each other but it wasn't anything that they both didn't like in the end. Looking around at the damage that she had added to the house, Blair couldn't help but realize that maybe she was stronger than she thought.

"We did this" Blair said as she looked around to see every bit of the house trashed

"I never knew we had that much stuff" Dan replied

"Well this was our place…our home. Of course we'd have the items that were necessary to turn it into a home" Blair told him

"This was our home and now…" Dan began to say as Blair knew

"It's just a house" Blair concluded as a silence came between them while they both sat on their respective sides "Things haven't changed, this didn't change anything" she said reluctantly

"Why not? I mean we still have it Waldorf. Our attraction is stronger than ever" Dan told her

"This was sex, it wasn't a connection…just us being horny" Blair sighed

"And yet we still manage to make each other feel that" Dan replied

"Wanting you or be attracted to you has never been our problem and clearly still isn't, but it's the other things that we began to suck at" Blair said

"You want the honesty" Dan sighed

"I deserve that. You deserve that" Blair told him "Dan, what made us different from the other random hook ups that have happened around us was the fact that we had a beginning. We were friends, best friends above everything else. I remember nights where we would just talk about anything and everything…and along the way we just stopped talking all together" she told him

"I'm not the only one that stopped talking…I just didn't like what I was hearing" Dan said

"And I know that. I know that everything that happened with Katie, my part in it, I know that it changed your view of me. I know that, you stood by me but your view changed even then" Blair said

"But that was the past. I'm not blaming you for it…" Dan said

"You are, without realizing it you are because I remember times when you would look at me like I was the purest of things in the world but since finding out about what really happened to Katie….I think that's when your perception of me changed" Blair said

"Give me some credit Blair. It's not every day that a guy has to digest the fact that his girlfriend unintentionally was involved in the death of her best friend all while she plots and schemes to put her sister in jail" Dan told her "But I stood by you because I loved you" he said

"Which I appreciate, but along the way you just stopped voicing your opinions…the fact that you sought comfort in writing down your opinions in a diary then telling me…that hurt. We may not have agreed, but we've always talked about things, hell bickering was how we met" Blair said as she looked on at him with pleading eyes "We've changed. We've tried to stop it, deny it, and even say that we could go back to how we were but we've changed" she told him as Dan shook his head a he got tired of hearing the negative aspects of their relationship

"Fine, I want you. That's something that hasn't changed and I can predict that won't change" Dan told her "You make us out to be like we were bad for each other! We loved each other, you loved me and I…I still love you" he told her "It's that simple, there are no complications in that" he added

"And I'm happy about that in the most selfish of ways but we'd be lying to ourselves if we thought we could just pick up like nothing happened" Blair said "You saved me at a time when I needed it most. Without you, I don't think I'd be half the person I am today" she told him

"Then repay me by staying with me" Dan replied knowing that his desperation was showing

"I can't….I don't trust your love anymore" Blair said as tears welled up in her eyes as he quickly sat up to listen as to why she had these feelings

"I'm not lying about that. I've loved you, I still love you" Dan told her

"But you don't even love yourself. Look how your living. You're in a rut Humphrey, and I'm just the distraction from what the real problem is" Blair told him

"And what's that? Since you seem to know it all now" Dan asked

"You're lost" Blair told him as he just looked at her "You've said it yourself, you're drowning and being with me…you think it will help because it'd make the night less lonely but it won't erase what you feel. I'd want nothing more to save you the way you saved me, but I can't because even though you want me, you don't need me. You need yourself and I've just been to selfish to admit that to you" she said

"If you love someone then there supposed to be a part of you, so how do you know that you're not what I need" Dan questioned as he hung his head knowing that this wasn't going to end the way he wanted it to

"That person does become a part of you but they don't become all of you. Consuming love sounds romantic but it's not something I'm willing to have and neither should you because you deserve more. So I don't want to be the reason you fail or succeed in this world, please don't make me that because that's not fair to yourself" Blair said

"What am I supposed to do?….you're all I have" Dan muttered

"And that's the part that needs to change. I'm not all you have, I'm just all you want" Blair said as she wiped away tears from her face before a silence came between them

"Will you date other people?" Dan asked as tears rolled down his cheek

"As of now, no….but that's something that doesn't matter" Blair told him as Dan straightened up "You could fall in love tomorrow, you could find someone that could save you the way that you save me…anything can happen. So why would I stop you or make you feel guilty for having those possible feelings?" she questioned

"So this is it? This is real, we're done" Dan asked

"We're not over or done as you call it because we're always going to be connected, we're just starting a new chapter without each other" Blair said "If our stories should come together then we'll know it's meant to be" she said before she leaned forward to kiss the top of his forehead. The kiss lingered longer than it should have but Blair knew that every part of her wanted to have him with her whether it be in his taste or the way he smelled as she took him in.

"I'm never letting you go, you can ask me to do anything else…but don't expect me to do that" Dan told her as she sat back on her legs just looking at him before she slowly rose to get her clothes. Bringing his hands towards the side of his head, Dan grabbed on to his hair as he groaned in frustration with what was another battle lost. "It's outside, in the storage closet. The Bergman" he said as she turned to look at him before she let the weakest of smiles come across her face but still it didn't make the moment any easier nor harder.

* * *

**They can take these clothes off my back**

**They can take my money**

**Don't care about that**

**Let 'em take my words**

**They're all I've got**

**They can have this fame**

**It ain't worth a lot**

**Only thing I know is I'll never let you go**

Paying his tab at the bar, Tyler thanked the bartender before he eventually called it a night on his plans. Making his way out of the bar, Tyler grabbed his cell phone as he went through his recent calls to see that he had no missed calls but had a text message. Opening up the text, Tyler got the name of the cardholder that Rome was able to find for him. Laughing to himself for a moment, Tyler couldn't believe how tangled this web was getting.

"Asher Hornsby" Tyler said to himself before and oncoming call came in on his cell phone "Hello" he answered

"I need the exclusive, this could be big" Dave said, a colleague of Tyler's

"On what?" Tyler asked

"Eleanor Waldorf in California. I mean is she branching out, is she seeking new business partners…says that she was leaving a facility with a group of people, looked to be serious of some sort" Dave said

"She's not in California, she's in Japan" Tyler reasoned

"Hate to break it to you, but mommy dearest..she's been in California for quite some time. People are starting to wonder if she's got business out there, if so then what is it?" Dave told him "So what is it?" he asked

"I don't know, and if so…I'm going to be the first to find out" Tyler said before he quickly ended the call

**As she takes the stand**

**By the look in her eyes I can tell that's she knows**

**That she's holding the fate of my world in her hands, damn**

**Fo' real**

**This was never the plan**

**It was never intended for her to end up the defendant**

**And I guess it just happened by chance, damn**

**And you hopeYou hopin' that a miracle happens**

**You pray that the Judge doesn't bang that gavel**

**So you can go back and avoid a disaster**

**And you could still be holding her hand**

**Like the last note of the saddest song**

**We're like the last word at the end of the poem**

**You know, there's nothing worse than being alone**

**It's funny how you never know what you got 'til it's gone**

"Did you have a nice night?" Jason asked causing Serena to jump as the last thing she expected was to see Jason in her suite

"Yeah, Sean had to get me. I tried calling you" Serena replied as Jason got up from his seat to show the bottles of alcohol that he had surrounding him while he walked towards her

"Did you have a nice night?" Jason asked her once more as she could smell the alcohol on his breath

"Yes" Serena replied a bit confused of how she was supposed to answer as he shook his head happily

"That's good. That's real good" Jason smiled as he turned to walk away before turning to punch her. Falling to the floor, Serena immediately grabbed hold to her face "I saw you…I have pictures you acting like the whore that I know you are. You made me think it was all in my mind! Now its here" he yelled as he stood above her

"I didn't do anything" Serena cried "I was talking to him for a friend, she was interested in him so I helped the two get together" she reasoned as she tried to move away

"Yeah well, you're mine. Don't you ever forget that!" Jason yelled as he took a moment to see what he had done as all he could see was the fear on Serena's face. Kneeling down beside her on the floor, Jason immediately began to break down in to tears "I'm sorry. I'm sorry" he cried as Serena struggled with what to do as she didn't expect to see him cry. Her eye sight began to blur as she could feel the sting of his punch, still she remained torn on what to do "I love you. I just love you so much that the thought of losing you….I can't lose you" he told her

"You won't" Serena replied after a few moments before he quickly leaned in to hug her. Sitting on the floor, Serena wore a look of horror but she knew above all else that she was the only person that understood him and could see him through the rough times that currently took place in his life. "It's okay" she struggled to say as she rubbed his back for comfort as he continued to cry.

**They can take these clothes off my back**

**They can take my money**

**Don't care about that (no)**

**Let 'em take my words (take my words)**

**It's all I've gotThey can have this fame**

**It ain't worth a lot**

**Only thing I know is I'll never let you go**

Fully clothed, Dan helped carry out the final box towards the waiting taxi as Blair stood by the car. Prolonging the moment, Dan arranged the boxes in the trunk so that they were suitable for the next carrier to get them out easily. Biting down on her tongue, Blair waved her eyes so that she wouldn't cry knowing that with each time they had to face this realization, it only got harder and harder to accept the boy she thought would be her everything was not going to be a part in her next chapter in life. Closing the trunk, Dan knew that he couldn't hide out forever. Pulling the hoodie of his sweater over his head to hide his face a bit, Dan walked over towards her before she pulled him in to hug. For a moment they just held each other before he finally had to break away from her embrace. Quickly heading back in to the house, Blair could only watch him leave before she eventually got in to the car.

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go (go)**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

"Why'd you do what you did?" Carter asked as he caught up with Vanessa outside

"Because…I love you" Vanessa replied as her hand began to tremble "You frustrate the hell out of me and you make me mad with the choices you've made, but I can't deny the fact that I still have these feelings for you. I love you….so don't make me regret that because I really want to believe in you. Don't make me a fool, please don't make me the fool in this scenario because that's what always happens in this scenario" she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm not. I promise you that…" Carter said as he walked up towards her

"Don't make promises" Vanessa said as he grabbed the side of her face

"I promise" Carter told her before he leaned in to kiss her.

**They can take these clothes off my back (clothes)**

**They can take my money**

**Don't care about that (that)**

**Let 'em take my words**

**It's all I've got (It's all I've got)**

**They can have this fame**

**It ain't worth a lot**

**Only thing I know is I'll never let you go**

Looking at a bit of the house that they once called home begin to dwindle down to just a place he lived in by himself. Walking over toward the drawer, Dan pulled out the engagement ring that he had once bought for Blair. Staring at the ring for what felt like hours before he pulled his phone out and called the operator.

"Operator, how may I help you?" The Operator said

"Can I have the listings for the closest pawn shops in Manhattan?" Dan asked as he looked on at the ring

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go (go)**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

With smile on his face, Carter smiled as he walked down the street. It had been a while but he was glad that he had something to smile about after the months he had. Knowing that he better stop by Victrola to sign off on the papers that were urgent, Carter didn't want to start off the next morning with making Chuck upset with him. Feeling his phone vibrate, Carter pulled the phone out to see that it was Chuck calling.

"Should you be at home with your wife?" Carter asked as he answered

"My wife is with me but that's not your concern. Get over here and sign these papers so I can get home" Chuck told him

"It'd be quicker if you sent over a taxi to come get me" Carter said

"Don't you have money…never mind, I'm starving and Jenny is as well. We'll just grab another late night dinner then pick you up, where are you?" Chuck asked

"On the corner of fifth and Slymore" Carter said as he stepped out to see the street sign

"Okay we're on…" Chuck began to say

"Hey Nicks!" The guy yelled out before Carter looked up to see a car across the street. Carter couldn't quite recognize the guy, but his focus had become hazy as the dark night had barely turned to day.

"Carter" Chuck said "What are you talking to someone now?" he asked as a silence came on the phone "Carter" he said before he heard a round of gun shots go off in the back ground. "Carter!" he yelled in horror as he listened in closely to hear a car speed off in the back ground.

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

**Won't let you go**

**No, never gonna let you go**

**Won't let you go**

**Never gonna let you go**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics in this Chapter**

**Katy Perry- Peacock**

**Robin Thicke- Love after War**

**B.O.B feat Ryan Tedder- Never Let You Go**

**Author's Note: I think this was the dirtiest chapter that I have written. Lol. I wanted this chapter to be sexy, sassy, funny, emotional...I think every emotion is in this chapter. I finished and I was like damn, every emotion is in here. But there's also an OMG moment. This would definitely be a mid season finale and I didn't even realize that until the end. I won't be long with it because I want to hear from you guys since I've said so much all ready. If you have questions just ask I have no probs in answering. Look forward to your feedback.**


	14. The Last Tycoon

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews. I especially liked it because I didn't know I had so many pervs as followers. Lol. Jk. I know we all have those moments. I originally said that I had seven more chapters, but I went back and looked at what I had jotted down, I wasn't satisfied with how it would've been mapped out so I extended it to write two original chapters that aren't based off of GG episodes. The Last Tycoon and Everyone's Fine are the title of my original episodes/chapters that I'm throwing in because I wanted each storyline to serve its purpose and come together nicely. I greatly appreciate my readers and I will forever enjoy the encouraging words that you guys give, so I hope you enjoy the original chapter and I hope that you guys leave feedback. Enjoy the read :)**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Thirteen- The Last Tycoon**

* * *

**Re·gret **

**re·gret [ri grét]**

**vt (past and past participle re·gret·ted, present participle re·gret·ting, 3rd person present singular re·grets) **

**1. feel sorry for something: to feel sorry and sad about something previously done or said that now appears wrong, mistaken, or hurtful to others **

**2. used politely when giving bad news: used as a polite expression of sorrow when making an apology or delivering a piece of bad or unwelcome news **

_We regret to inform you that this service is no longer available. _

_We regret any inconvenience caused. _

**3. mourn for somebody or something: to feel sadness about something, or feel a sense of loss and longing for somebody or something that is no longer there (formal) **

* * *

_**[Fashion Press Panel Clip - First Day of Fashion Week]**_

_**Sitting nervously at her seat on the panel, Blair nervously played with her hands as she looked on at the professionals she was sitting beside. Grabbing her glass of water, Blair took a sip of water to hope that it would calm her nerves but found that it was only making her sweat more. Looking over in to the corner, Bex waved back at Blair and motioned for her to calm down and remain calm as the camera was sure to catch everything and anything that she did. Hearing a few of the questions being asked, Blair could hear that truth and grit were at the basis of every answer that they gave and she knew that she'd have to do the same in order to look like she belonged. Scanning the crowd of reporters that she made a habit to read on a daily basis for fashion truths, Blair could only feel the pressure build and build inside of her. Her eyes landed upon Louis as he stood in the back with the other figure heads, he was originally laughing and talking but she could see that he was trying to keep his attention on her as if he was trying to support her.**_

_**Reporter: Blair, tell us about your mother's latest line?**_

_**Blair: It's…it's exquisite. I don't think much can be said.**_

_**Reporter: You say that as her daughter, but what's your opinion on the line as a member now in the fashion world.**_

…_**.there it was. The moment that she had to take. The moment that she was expected to be just like if not of the same level as her peers.**_

_**Blair: Yes, as her daughter it's always nice to be supportive. As a member of the fashion world, I did find the work to be a bit dated…not her best but I'm sure her best will come in the next go around for fashion week.**_

_**[End of Clip]**_

Closing the lap top after viewing the clip, Eleanor quickly removed her glasses as she saw Blair sitting in front of her desk looking more nervous than ever. Eleanor wanted to assure her daughter that it was okay, but Eleanor couldn't help but feel the sting in Blair's words as she spoke in the clip. In the business, Eleanor knew that they would go after the fact that Blair was now working for a magazine production that was keen on critiquing and featuring the latest fashions. Tapping her foot nervously, Blair forced a smile hoping that her mother would give in to the fact that she was her baby girl and not some critic trying to get a sound bite. Getting up from her desk, Eleanor immediately headed out of her office and in to the sitting area while Blair followed behind trying to gage what her mother was thinking. Coming out of the kitchen with a tray of snacks, Dorota sat it down on the table just as Blair and Eleanor took their seats.

"What was I supposed to do?! They wanted an honest reaction?" Blair reasoned

"I don't know, maybe say something that didn't make me seem like I was prehistoric" Eleanor replied

"Botox, I have endorsed for you but you persist with the natural" Blair stated as Eleanor shot her a glaring look "Okay, not the time for suggestions. I was on a panel full of prestigious fashion execs, they would've known if I was lying" she said

"That really doesn't make it better on your account" Eleanor told her daughter "What were you even doing on panel anyways?" she asked

"Bex rewarded me for my hard work. She thought I'd get more experience and get my name out there by sitting amongst the best. Networking efforts" Blair told her

"Networking…for a lower level intern, how is that so?" Eleanor questioned

"I can sense the harshness so I will refrain on answering. Just be happy for me, celebrate that I got my chance" Blair smiled

"I would love to but it came at my expense and I'm sure the media outlet is lavishing the opportunity to put a spin on this" Eleanor sighed as she grabbed her cup of tea just as Tyler made his way in to the penthouse. Looking over her shoulder to see her brother, Blair couldn't help but roll her eyes at his presence. "Speaking of media, have we made front cover with your sisters remarks?" she asked as Tyler walked over towards them

"Please don't link us together like that" Blair told her mother quickly

"Why would you be front page?…I mean other than your professional reasons" Tyler asked a bit confused

"Yes, this is the face of the media outlet. He even went as far to help publish a tell all book about me" Blair replied sarcastically

"Blair" Eleanor stated

"No, you haven't made front page" Tyler told his mother

"See, there you go. No damage was done to the almighty Eleanor Waldorf" Blair replied

"Why? What'd you do?" Tyler asked as he looked over at Blair

"Why do you think I did something? Maybe you did something as you've done and have yet to have a swift reprimanding for it" Blair replied

"She threw me under the bus during a fashion week panel" Eleanor quickly stated

"Mother!" Blair replied

"Wow! You go after your own mother as well, you really are ruthless" Tyler replied as Blair got up from her seat

"I'm not staying here for whatever this. I'm sorry but I had to tell the truth" Blair reasoned "I love you and I will hope that you will not let the spawn of evil deter you away from my real intentions were" she said

"Be careful Blair" Eleanor said

"What is there to fear mother besides those we let in so easily" Blair said as she looked over at Tyler as he took a seat across from Eleanor

"Opportunities are few, but some require you to sale your soul…be careful on the opportunities you take" Eleanor told her

"This isn't about you, and the sooner you realize that…the sooner you realize that I was just answering honestly" Blair said as she took in the sight of Tyler and Eleanor sitting side by side to know that she was disgusted with how he managed to worm his way in to her mother's good graces "But if I need to be the villain, then I'll gladly play the role so you can have your tearful reunion" she said before she turned to leave while all Eleanor could do was sigh.

"How was your trip?" Tyler asked as he turned his attention towards his mother

"It was good. Japan was…beautiful as usual" Eleanor smiled as Tyler looked at her for a moment

"Why are you making this harder than need be?" Tyler asked

"What are you talking…" Eleanor began to say

"I know where you were…it's that whole media outlet thing, it gives me the perk of finding out things. Even the things I don't want to know" Tyler said as the smile that Eleanor wore soon faded in to a panic. Turning his attention towards Dorota, Tyler sat forward in his seat as he clasped his hands together "Dorota can you give us a few moments please. I want to speak with Eleanor" he said as Dorota nodded and obliged his wish before she turned to leave.

"What do you want to know?" Eleanor asked as she took a moment to compose her emotions

* * *

Laying his head back in frustration, Dan massaged his forehead as the meeting that he hoped would've been great had turned to bad. In an attempt to drum up some money, Dan had made the efforts of claiming that Insider was his to get an agent. It was a idea that he had gained from a forum page on the internet but it was an idea that made sense to Dan. Changes were made but Dan was sure that this was the route that he wanted to take in order to go about being the writer that he wanted to be. Calling up a few agents that he had known about through working with Eleanor, Dan hoped that he wouldn't have to use his full connections to either Eleanor or Bart to gain his own success. Throwing down the last bit of money that he had left over on to the table for a tip, Dan got up from his seat and immediately made his way out of the restaurant. Grabbing his cell phone, Dan immediately dialed up the familiar number.

"Yes for the hundredth time" Carter groaned as he answered

"How are you?" Dan asked

"I'm tired of the constant calls. I'm fine, I just got a bit of a graze nothing else" Carter replied "Chuck and Jenny made it out to be like I had six bullets put in me" he sighed

"Well had least you can say your hood status" Dan replied

"Why? Because I had a drive by happen?" Carter asked

"Precisely" Dan quickly replied "I thought you were going to give that life up, what was this a deal gone bad?" he asked

"First, I'm not a drug dealer. Second, I didn't piss anyone off…I think. The guy called out for Nicks and then next thing I see is a gun going off. Luckily, I'm limber enough to duck and crawl off in to an alley way" Carter said

"Nicks? As in Dominic?" Dan asked

"I don't exactly know which Nicks he was calling for but I think I may have a clue" Carter sighed

"Is this good or bad?" Dan asked

"It's something" Carter said "How'd the whole screw me over meeting go?" he asked

"It went…they think it'll be too risky to claim I wrote a book to start off my career that I never wrote in the publics eye" Dan sighed

"Sorry. If there was anything I could do…" Carter began to say

"I just really want to forget this and get drinks. You game?" Dan asked

"I can't I have a meeting at Victrola then I'm supposed to meet up with Vanessa" Carter said

"All right, well try not to get shot again" Dan sighed as he ran his hand through his hair before he ended the call just as he bumped in to Blair and after another glance, Dan noticed that Louis was with her. Looking away from Louis as Dan just laughed off the awkwardness of the moment, Louis could see that Blair wanted to talk to Dan.

"I'll meet you back at the office" Louis told Blair before he began to walk off leaving Dan and Blair behind.

"Have you talked to Carter?" Blair asked as she gripped on tight to her coffee

"Yeah, I just got off the phone with him" Dan replied as he continued to not make eye contact with Blair

"How is he?" Blair asked

"He's fine. He just got a graze on the arm but it just sounded worse than what it was" Dan told her

"Well that's good. I'm glad" Blair said as a silence came between them while Dan did all he could to not look at her "You don't have to look away" she said

"I should because if I do look at you, then I'll see exactly what you said wasn't happening" Dan replied

"Nothing is going on…but if you choose to believe that then I'm not going to do anything to make you believe anything else. My word should be enough" Blair replied

"It really doesn't matter because this is your life and you do whatever" Dan replied

"Have you seen the clip?" Blair asked with a bit of a sigh "I just came from my mother's and she didn't like it. Tyler's probably comforting…" she began to say

"I really can't hear this now" Dan told her

"Why?" Blair asked

"Because we just broke up. We broke up, you rejected my proposal of marriage…I can't play friends yet. I'm not there yet" Dan told her

"Fine, I just thought that you should know that it wasn't me trying to be malicious" Blair reasoned

"You try, but you do without even realizing it" Dan laughed as Blair just looked at him in disbelief

"So glad we can be adults about the break up" Blair said sarcastically before she bumped in to Dan's shoulder purposely as she walked off. Knowing that he had been a complete ass to Blair in that moment, Dan couldn't focus on trying to be civil because he was too flustered with all that was going wrong.

* * *

Throwing up a solid alley oop pass, Sean silently celebrated to himself as he got back on defense. Calling out the defensive set, Jason deflected an inside pass to the center before chucking it down the court to Sean in stride. Going up for a solid dunk, the coach blew the whistle for the final play of practice Jason ran over towards Sean to celebrate his dunk as they bumped fists. Dismissing the team, Sean followed behind Jason towards the bench as they both grabbed their waters. Making a few comments with the other guys, Sean couldn't help but feel as if he finally belonged with his teammate for the first time. Maybe it was because he was on Jason's good side but Sean knew his luck or chances of starting were beginning to look good by his minutes getting increased. Looking up in to the stands, Sean noticed that Serena sat diligently as she watched the practice as if she was afraid to miss something while she wore her designer shades.

"You did good today rookie" Jason told him as he finished up his water

"Thanks" Sean said

"Coach liked what he saw, you had a new energy that the first unit definitely needed. Maybe you'll get in the rotation for the game" Jason said

"I hope" Sean smiled

"I need you to do me a favor" Jason said as he got up from his seat to look over at Serena before back at Sean "I need you to keep her busy today, I'm planning a romantic evening and I need her to be preoccupied" he said

"Where exactly am I supposed to take her?" Sean asked "Maybe the romance should include you treating her to a spa day or something with her friends. Ladies love that" he laughed

"I'll keep that in mind rook, but I want to make this a personalized more authentic approach. So will you help me out?" Jason asked with a bit of laughter

"The way you're helping me out, of course I'll help you out" Sean said as they slapped hands before bumping each others chest

"I'm gonna hit the showers" Jason told him as he walked off with the rest of the group. Wiping the sweat from his face, Sean made his way up towards the seats where Serena sat.

"I don't see much sun in here. Is this the it-girl thing kicking in?" Sean asked as he climbed the stairs towards Serena

"I'm trying to hide the fact that your practices are so long" Serena laughed "Good job today, you actually looked like a basketball player" she said

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sean asked with a bit of laughter

"Means that you've finally made your way off of riding the pine" Serena told him as she couldn't help but laugh

"Yes, all of which I intend to get off of" Sean told her "What's on your list of things to do tonight? I'm semi-game for anything, maybe even games if you just have no appearances to do, I'm hoping you don't have any appearance" he said

"Actually, I was just planning on staying in tonight. Nothing big" Serena told him

"I wish I could…" Sean began to say

"Sean please. I appreciate that you want to follow through on your promise, but I just really want to be alone tonight" Serena said

"Okay fine. Maybe I can take this time to make things right with Rochelle" Sean laughed

"Maybe, I'll even call in reservations for you…on me" Serena told him as she began to make her way up the stairs "Enjoy yourself tonight. Turn off your phone even because I don't plan on calling you" she said

"Make it a promise and then I'll consider myself spoiled by you" Sean laughed

"Promise" Serena told him as she pushed her shades back on her face before she turned to leave.

* * *

Rubbing his arm as he felt a bit of irritability, Carter made his way past the guards that Dominic had outside. The war between the rival houses had mellowed for a bit but since hearing about Carter's shooting, Dominic didn't want to take any chances of being caught unprotected. Passing Vanessa on his way into the sitting area, Carter found it hard to keep a straight face when all he wanted to do was to kiss her passionately. Believing that the chances that they would get back together was going to be slim to none but with recent events he was glad to know that they were able to find their way back to each other. Receiving a text, Carter looked on at his phone to see that it was from Vanessa. Taking a seat as he waited for Dominic to call him in, Carter smiled as he saw Vanessa sit across from him. With a magazine in hand, Vanessa pretended that her attention was on the magazine.

"How are you?" Vanessa asked as she kept her focus on the magazine. Unsure of how he should answer since the guards were standing by, Carter awkwardly grabbed his own magazine

"Good" Carter replied nervously

"You really could've got hurt. Dom is furious about the hit and he's hopefully putting an end to this madness" Vanessa said while continuing her cover making sure to turn the page as she spoke

"I don't really control gang violence…is that what I should even call it?" Carter asked

"Don't look at me" Vanessa laughed while the guards shook their heads at how obvious it was that they were talking to each other

"Sorry. I'm not sure what it was" Carter stated "But I don't like the whole bullets flying over my head ordeal" he said

"I don't think anyone would" Vanessa said "I really hope you have a plan to get out. I mean I like the seeing you around, but not like this…not under these conditions" she said

"I'm not sure how to answer that" Carter replied nervously as he wasn't sure he should be talking about how he planned to get out with the guards nearby

"Relax, these guys may fear Dom but they fear me even more" Vanessa said as she put her magazine down to look on at the two guards with smiling faces "Right guys?" she asked

"Yes" The guards muttered

"Then why are we doing the whole secret talk if you have the whole lock on the guards thing?" Carter asked

"Because I still can't just hang around with you. Dom would get mad" Vanessa replied

"And there's the fear that keeps me away from touching you" Carter replied

"So are we on for tonight?" Vanessa asked "I bought something for you that I think you may like" she said as she turned the page

"I like everything. I hardly doubt you need my approval on anything" Carter said

"On this, I think you'll have to like it in order to enjoy it" Vanessa said

"I'm an easy guy" Carter shrugged

"I really don't think you understand what I'm saying. I think tonight you will highly enjoy what I have to give and show you" Vanessa said slow enough for him to understand

"No, I understand. I just don't think…" Carter began to reply

"She's got lingerie for you jackass" One guard quickly replied as Carter looked at him strangely

"Oh…." Carter began to realize "Hey, what happened to the whole silence thing?!" he questioned the guard while Vanessa shook her head at how clueless Carter could be at times "Do you think…" he began to say

"Carter the whole sex allure has been killed. Just prepare to have your world rocked and leave it at that" Vanessa said as she cut him off before the door opened up

"Carter, come in" Dominic said as Carter hated to look away from Vanessa but knew he had to pretend like she wasn't there for his own sake "Ness, what are you doing hanging around?" he asked

"Mom doesn't like missing dinner parties with the family. She's upset and you know who covers for you when she's upset" Vanessa said as she got up

"How upset?" Dominic asked

"I'm thinking you need to cook and wear the whole special apron upset" Vanessa replied as Dominic pulled out his wallet to get some money before she stopped him

"I got you covered. I made her favorites, just heat it up and put garnish to make it look like you cooked it" Vanessa said

"You were always my favorite" Dominic smiled as he leaned in to kiss her forehead

"I can hear you" Nikki called out

"I meant for you to hear it" Dominic replied

"Make tonight special for mom, I don't want to hear her being upset or else" Vanessa teased her step dad

"I know, I know" Dominic said before he made his way back in to his office while Carter stood back and watched the two interact as if they were just so normal

"I'll see you" Vanessa said before she turned to look at Carter then made her way out of the house while Carter turned to take in the view of her walking away. Noticing that the guards were looking at him

"You see the benefits of getting shot…sex. It was once a Sahara, now my rivers will be plentiful" Carter whispered to the guards as they looked him at strangely

"What the fuck are you talking about?" One guard asked in utter confusion as Carter tried to explain

"Carter, get your ass in here!" Dominic yelled as that gave Carter the excuse he needed in order to head inside. Noticing Nikki standing off in the corner, Carter tried to act normal but couldn't help but remember Nikki's involvement in it all. "First things first, how are you?" he asked as he flopped down in his chair with his glass of vodka in hand

"Good, just a graze" Carter replied "But I guess my real question is why I was gone after? I haven't been as exclusive with the organization to warrant a drive by" he said

"They weren't going after you….they were going after Nikki" Dominic replied

"Which explains the whole calling for Nicks" Carter said "But still why me?" he asked

"They must've seen us together" Nikki reasoned

"Which is why you need to stop thinking your untouchable. There is a war Nick, and you're part of this…you are not above getting a bullet put in your head with how lax your being" Dominic said

"I'm handling my business, I don't need a parade of guards to make it obvious on who I'm affiliated with" Nikki told him

"Do you really?! I mean what the fuck do you do all day now?" Dominic asked

"I do my job. This war is causing our usual customers to be weary because you're making it too obvious" Nikki siad

"Then what do you propose I do…get shot?! Because that seems to be your fucking bright idea" Dominic yelled angrily "I'm protecting his family and I can't do that with your mouth thinking you know everything" he said

"I protect mine" Nikki replied "Ness can go to and from where ever she has to go because of my security detail. I make it possible for her to even have a normal life compared to your guard heavy methods" he said

"So what? You call shots now? I should step down and let you call shots because you can organize a group of goons? I'm real curious as to how the fuck that makes you a fucking don now" Dominic questioned

"Look, whatever methods you guys go about protecting the organization, I'd like to hear the method that doesn't try to have me looking like a bowling ball with holes all in me" Carter stated "I pay my debt, then I want out" he said

"You're not getting out" Dominic replied as he leaned back in his chair

"Why not?!" Carter asked "I owed you money not my life" he said

"You know too much, I'd be stupid to let you just walk" Dominic said

"He's not part of this" Nikki said

"He's always been a part of this. We found new ways of capitalize on the trade, he became a part of this on the first transaction" Dominic said as he got up from his seat "Until then, do as I say…maybe you might have your life following my instructions" he said before he made his way out of the room. Fuming at the news, Carter clenched his fist tight as he wasn't quite sure how to process what he was just told.

"I never asked for this. I pay the money and then I'm out….I'm not a fucking soldier for Dom" Carter reasoned

"I know" Nikki replied "The shooting just has him on edge" he said

"And what exactly was that? I'm taking bullets for you now?" Carter questioned

"Some think I'm trying to play a game on trying to go the straight from the business. Some are fearing that I might rat on the deals with the family" Nikki said

"Good, then don't rat. Just do the whole get me free thing and we won't rat, then we'll live" Carter told him

"It's not that simple" Nikki said

"Then make it simple…this is not my life, this is not my war" Carter told him "I have a life. I have friends. I have parents. I have…I'm in love, which is weird because this love is all Disney poetic with the birds tweeting and the butterflies type thing. If there's any chance that you can get me out…I want out. I will do whatever you need of me but just get me out of this" he pleaded with Nikki.

* * *

Paying for his drink, Dan took a sip of his coffee before realizing it still needed something more to make it desirable. Putting his desired condiments in the cup, Dan looked on at the list of agents that he had gathered only to find that the last agent he saw was the end of the list. Groaning in frustration, Dan crumpled the paper up before tossing it into the trash can. Not even realizing that the vendor that he had decided to stop at was the exact vendor he'd go to once his classes were done at the university, Dan looked on at the New York University campus for a moment before he finally just continued to walk. Just as he began making stride on giving up on his notion that he could be an overnight sensation in one night, Dan looked over at the bench to see Eleanor sitting as if she was waiting for him. Letting out a laugh in disbelief of the curve his day was going to take, Dan just stood bracing himself for what she had to say because he was pretty sure that she had known what he had done. Getting up from her seat, Eleanor walked over towards him as they stood in the less crowd portion of the walkways of the courtyard area.

"I take it that since you're on the opposite sides of where you should be, I take it that the call was absolutely correct" Eleanor told him

"If you're referring to me dropping out, then you're correct" Dan replied

"And this is okay with you?" Eleanor asked

"It's my only option…" Dan began to say

"That's a crock of bs if I've ever heard it. This wasn't your only option, it was the only option that you wanted to take because your pride stood in front of the others" Eleanor snapped at him "Do you know how insulting it is to find out through a phone call that you've dropped out from the university? The very university that Bart helped get you into…." she began to say

"I'm sure they'll continue to do favors for him" Dan quickly replied

"That is not the point!" Eleanor told him angrily

"I think it's the point" Dan laughed before Eleanor quickly slapped him across the face to his surprise. Massaging his cheek, Dan did his best to bare the sting of her slap

"I'm sorry" Eleanor replied as she took a moment "You should've came to me. We could've talked about this…" she began to say

"You're not my mother! I don't have to talk to you about why or why I don't want to go to school" Dan replied "I don't owe Bart anything, I went to school, I tried…but I also wanted to do this on my own terms without owing anything to anyone" he said

"It's not about that, no one was forcing you to owe anything. We just wanted to help you…and if you would stop getting in your own damn way then you'd see that" Eleanor replied with much frustration in her voice

"This is my life" Dan told her "God, stop worrying about me. I'm not your kid, I don't have to report in to you. I'm managing and doing this on my own" he told her

"Dan, I've heard that so much from you that I don't think you even know what the hell you're doing anymore" Eleanor sighed as she massaged her head in frustration as her fatigue was starting to set in

"Why? Because I'm not running to you for money? I'm sorry if I've accepted the reality that I'm a kid from Brooklyn not the Upper Eastside. Regardless of how many rich people I know, that doesn't automatically make me like you" Dan replied

"And what is like me?! What preconceived notion do you have that separates you from me because this whole social class structure is something you drum up so you can justify the fact that it's all your pride. You're pride is what will cause you to fail and if you keep this up, then you truly be at the bottom of the so called social structure because all you'll do is work some mediocre job that can barely pay the bills" Eleanor replied angrily

"And what's wrong with that!?" Dan questioned "If that's my destiny then what's wrong with that! It's not something your used to so it's automatically frowned upon. That's right there only proves what is the biggest difference between us…I'm not you, and you will never understand what it's like to be me. Ever since I was a kid, I was told to work hard and you'll get in to the school of your dreams, I did that and I got in to a school that I never wanted to be at in the first place. Treat the girl right and she'll fall in love with you and marry you, did that, lost the girl. Take care of my responsibilities, help the family and they will stay in tact, did that, my sister is married to a guy I can't stand while I have a part time father…I have done nothing but put my pride to the side and I have nothing to show for it. I wrote the book…I wrote Insider, and now…I can't even get credit for writing a book that has become the most buzzed about book. I take the initiative in my future, but nothing has gone as plan…so fuck it! I'm tired of fighting the inevitable" he told her as tears welled up in her eyes as she felt herself become weak with the heartbreak he was feeling

"You have to keep trying. I know it's hard but you have to believe that better days are ahead for you…" Eleanor began to tell him

"That's if I accept your money and your help, right?" Dan asked "That's if I put on the suit and tie so I can work for a guy that tore my family apart and his guilty conscience is the only reason why he gives a damn about me!…what better days are coming!?" he said angrily

"Dropping out of school, giving up on your future is not the way" Eleanor told him

"My future gave up on me, I'm just accepting that the boy from Brooklyn is supposed to and will always be just that…the boy from Brooklyn" Dan told her before he threw his coffee in a fit of anger. Wanting to comfort him, Eleanor just watched as Dan clenched his fist as his cheeks turned red from anger. Tears welled up in both of their eyes, Dan ran his hand through his hair as he turned away from her for a moment before turning back to face her "There's nothing I want more to believe that our relationship was real, that you truly loved me…but that wasn't even real. That was all me being the substitute for the son you gave up, I was nothing but your replacement son…so why should I trust that what you feel is genuine when nothing you did before was genuine" he said

"I may have subconsciously chose to hire you because of Tyler, but every thing else was genuine. I'm not some heartless person and you should know that…" Eleanor said

"You know, you knew the hell she put me through. My own mother chose her new life over her own kids…" Dan began to say

"I know" Eleanor told him

"Then you should understand why…I can't have you in my life or any aspect of your world" Dan said "You did the same thing, you may not have done it on purpose but you did the same thing…you never chose me" he said as they both stood in an emotional silence

"I want to help you. I want to be there for you…I want some bit of you" Eleanor reasoned as tears fell from her eyes "I may not be your mother, but I love you like a son and you have to believe that" she said

"It's nice to hear, but you don't…I'm the charity case" Dan reasoned as he choked back tears "You have him back, I haven't said a bad word about you to him because I think deep down he truly wants to get to know you and love you. Tyler is great and even has your mentality at times, he's a Waldorf…he just doesn't realize it yet" he went on to say

"Dan…" Eleanor began to say as she knew what he was trying to do

"I've tried to tell Blair that Tyler isn't as bad as she makes him out to be. I think once they put down the walls, they may even be good as a brother and sister. That's your family, that's your son, the one you should love and only love because a kid that had a mother love another child the way she should've loved her own…that's hard to process. A kid should never fight for their parents attention" Dan rambled on as he wiped his eyes

"Dan…" Eleanor began to say

"I need you this…I need this to be the last time we ever speak. I need..I'm starting this new chapter in my life and I have to know that I can live without you in it…because if I get used to or expect you to be there then I might get the notion that I have someone that actually wants me, someone that I have desperately been trying to put in her place because Lord knows she never was interested in being my mother….and I think a part of me wanted you to be that, but I need to accept the reality of it all, which includes you" Dan told her "Just stay out of my life. I'm begging you" he said as he slowly started to walk away

"Dan. Daniel. Daniel Humphrey" Eleanor began to call out as he just continued to walk away knowing that he hated that he had to be so cruel, but it's just something he had to do. "Daniel" she cried as she had to grab on to the nearest item to keep her strength so she wouldn't fall. Finding that the little strength that she had was no measure for the strength she'd need in order to catch up or convince Dan, all Eleanor could do was watch him walk away.

* * *

Putting her hair up in a bun, Serena prepared to lounge around for the night. Once she got in from lunch with her mother, Serena took a much needed hot shower before applying the cream to her face as her night time routine. Looking on at her reflection in the mirror, Serena couldn't help but notice the black eye that was on her face as it became harder to avoid while she applied her cream. Flashbacks to Jason punching her, Serena tried to rid herself of those memories because she knew he wasn't acting like himself due to his drinking. Jason was never one for drinking, but with the management not honoring his request for a new contract, Jason had began to drink more and more. Grabbing her make up kit, Serena applied make up so that the black eye wouldn't stand out even to herself. Hearing the door close from out in the living room, Serena quickly made her way out of the bathroom to see that a lavish spread was being set up for her by the hotel staff.

"Uh, I didn't order this" Serena quickly told the waiters as they continued to set up

"It was ordered by Mr. Peters" The waiter told her as Serena just let them continue on while Blair made her way inside the penthouse with a bottle of champagne in hand

"I see you were aware of my coming over. Goodie" Blair smiled as she looked on at the spread being set up

"It's not for you" Serena sighed

"You could at least pretend like it is" Blair replied "Is this a Jason thing?" she asked

"Yes" Serena said as she ran her hand through her hair "What's with the champagne?" she asked

"I'm in need of alcoholic comfort and I figured I could drink with a bestie night would be in full effect" Blair smiled "You should probably lay off of the whole make up experiment, you're not flushing out the color well under your eye" she noted of Serena's masked black eye.

"Uh oh, what's going on?" Serena asked

"Well, my mother is letting the devil spawn closer to her over the fact that I may have critiqued her latest line harshly…" Blair began to say

"I saw the clip. You basically said you thought your mother's line was crap" Serena quickly added "But continue on" she said as she took the bottle of champagne that Blair had in her hands to open up as Blair grabbed the wine glasses from the cupboard

"Dan is being an ass…" Blair quickly replied

"Well you didn't exactly sign the dissolution, I believe your efforts to dissolute the relationship was to have sex all day with him, so civil never got agreed upon" Serena stated

"First, the sex was amazing, so don't judge. Second, I didn't think we'd have to sign an agreement to be civil with each other or even be friends" Blair reasoned

"Just sticking to the sex for one second, define amazing?" Serena asked with a bit of laughter

"I'm ashamed to admit that I have a freak side of me that I didn't know existed until the other day" Blair said as they began to sip

"Like what? Are there things you like?" Serena asked

"Humphrey is a gradual improver in sex. It's like the more sex you have with him, the better it gets" Blair told her "But lamenting my sexual relationship is not helping the current pit that my personal life is in" she said

"How are you in a personal pit?" Serena asked her friend with a bit of laughter "You've got an amazing job that allows you to travel to St. Bart's at the drop of the dime, then you work with Bex Simon of all people" she smiled "That sounds amazing and hardly a pit" she said "Maybe it's the sex your missing" she teased

"Being horny is a bitch" Blair sighed as she drank "We can't even be friends with benefits because he's being such an ass…if he wasn't an ass…" she began to say

"He would get ass" Serena joked

"In not so unsettling terms, yes" Blair laughed "But us having sex will only confuse things and we don't need confusion, we need simplification" she sighed as she poured herself another glass of champagne "What's going on with this Sean guy? You've been picture out and about with him, shouldn't you be pictured about with Jason?" she asked

"Sean is the decoy. Jason and I haven't really gone public with our relationship, so Sean is just a good guy stepping in to take the brunt of the public media off of us" Serena said

"So he's your beard" Blair concluded

"In some ways. He's funny and straight forward" Serena said

"Who, Jason?" Blair asked

"No, Sean" Serena said "He might actually be good with Hazel" she said

"Oh please don't torture him like that. Hazel's standards of men are beyond low and her ideology that domesticating yourself with a minivan is a way of life when we all know Dooney and Bourke are not minivan carrying purses" Blair quickly replied

"Then who? He likes this Rochelle girl but I don't know if he's having luck with her" Serena said

"Why do you care?" Blair asked

"Because…I want to focus on other peoples love life other than my bearded love life" Serena said just as Jason made his way inside to see the two girls drinking in the kitchen. Dressed in a designer suit, Serena and Blair looked on at her boyfriend for a moment before Blair caught the hint that it was her time to leave.

"Hi, we're not drinking your champagne. I'm just sulking while your girlfriend listens" Blair laughed as she gathered her things while Jason looked on at Blair to Serena

"You look nice" Serena told him as he undid the top button of his suit

"Where's your dress?" Jason asked

"Dress? I was planning on staying the night in, I didn't know we had plans" Serena replied

"Always assume that you have plans when your dating S. Dan may not have been a big spender but he always had plans for us…..and that was my final point as I clearly have become the third wheel to this party" Blair blabbed before she leaned in to give Serena a kiss on the cheek before she quickly made her way out of the kitchen "Love you S" she called out before she left

"Where is Sean?" Jason asked in a bit of confusion

"I sent him out on the date he never had with Rochelle. I just thought I'd stay in tonight, he never mentioned that you had plans for us" Serena said

"If you sent Sean out on his date then how did Blair get over here if you wanted to be alone?" Jason questioned

"She just stopped by. She's been dealing with the whole break up with Dan, so she just came by to vent" Serena said

"When she clearly saw that you had plans for the evening?" Jason questioned

"I didn't even know, so how was she supposed to know?!" Serena asked

"What person just shows up drinking champagne and blabs about their personal life?" Jason asked

"My best friend" Serena told him

"Well maybe her being your best friend is to be debated" Jason replied angrily as he ran his hand through his hair

"And you come to that conclusion how?" Serena asked

"I planned this night because I wanted it to be about us. I didn't think I'd have to come and deal with Blair. I shouldn't have to share attention with Blair, when I'm the one that gets you. I'm the only person that has taken the time to be there for you while she's off dealing with her own drama to even care about things are with Lilly" Jason said as he walked closer towards her to grab her hand in his "I just love you and I don't want anything to come between us. I know that I haven't been at my best, but surely my I deserve more than to come second to Blair" he told her as he tucked away a strand of hair from her face

"She's my best friend" Serena breathed

"And I'm the guy that will love you forever…I'll never leave you or hurt you, that's all I want you to know" Jason said as he held her face in his hand "I never meant to hurt you, I would never hurt you intentionally" he whispered to her as she just looked him in the eyes.

* * *

Stepping off of the elevator, Eleanor grasped on tight to the rails of the elevator before she slowly made her way out. Grasping on to any thing and everything that she could get her hands on, Eleanor's main focus was to get to her office. Trotting down the staircase, Cyrus smiled as he knew his wife had returned home but when he got a look of her, Cyrus could see that she was weak. Immediately rushing to his wife's side, Cyrus did his best to get her to sit but found that Eleanor was in a zone of what she wanted to do. Eleanor took her seat behind her desk as she rummaged through her drawers looking for her call list, while Cyrus just looked on trying to figure out what to do. Coming in with her usual tea, Dorota looked on to see the madness of hurricane Eleanor.

"Where are my numbers? I need my numbers?" Eleanor asked as she continued to go through drawers

"Just calm down. You don't need your numbers" Cyrus told her

"Yes, I need my numbers. I have to fix this…I can't just let him throw away his future because he's in a rut. He'll thank me for this, he'll be upset but he'll thank me for this" Eleanor babbled

"Who?" Cyrus asked

"Dorota, get me the numbers to Dartmouth?" Eleanor stopped on the drop of the dime to ask Dorota

"Why are you calling Dartmouth?" Cyrus asked in a bit of confusion

"Because I'm sure I can donate something that will enable Dan to get in. I looked at the semester and he'll be just in time to make the Spring semester" Eleanor said "Rivers has a home there so he could live there until he finds a set up of his own" she babbled

"And he's mentioned this to you?" Cyrus asked

"No, but I need to do this for him. He needs this to get out of this hole that he's in" Eleanor said "Then I need to get in touch with my publicist, I need to come out with a statement in regards to Blair's comment. The media is going to try to spin this to mother against daughter, I want to come out in support of her statement" she babbled

"You need to calm down" Cyrus told her

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Eleanor said as she slammed her hand down on the desk "I'm so tired of people telling me what to do, I'm still Eleanor Waldorf. This is my family and it's my job to protect them. I need to fix this…so stop telling me what to do and start helping me" she yelled angrily as her hands began to tremble before Cyrus stepped forward to grab her hand to calm her down "There's so much that I have to do, and I just need to start doing it…I need to make an appointment to schedule another interview with Tyler, I need to come out with a public statement to support my daughter, I need to help Dan through…there's so much that I need to do and I can't just sit here and do nothing" she said as she became overcome with emotion

"It's time…they need to know the truth" Cyrus told her as she immediately shook her head

"No, that's my business to handle" Eleanor replied

"Not anymore. We tried it your way, now we need to do this my way. In my way, I want you to not worry and focus on yourself…" Cyrus began to say

"Your way is a bit idealistic not realistic" Eleanor replied

"I can make anything come to life" Cyrus smiled at her "But the one reality that I can't have become an idea is having you think that you can take on the world because you can't. You can't fight their battles or win their wars, all you can do is be their voice of reason and the one to love them no matter what" he told her "So in that, it's time you give them the chance to deal with their own battles because this is not just yours anymore, it become ours" he told his wife as she could only hate that he had a way of getting through to her. Looking over at Dorota, Eleanor could see a look of confusion as Dorota was unsure if she should stay in her role as the trusty maid or be concerned as a family member that did in fact come to love her employer. Turning to look over at Dorota, Cyrus held on to his wife's hand as he massaged it gently "Dorota, I'm thinking a family dinner is in order" he smiled weakly

* * *

Putting on his jersey for practice, Sean threw the last of the tape he need for his wrist into his locker before closing it. Most of his teammates were filing out one by one as it was almost time for practice to begin. Heading over towards the team chart to see what team he'd be on for today's practice, Sean looked on to see that he was on the relief team. The relief team had been called the bench squad on the team, which meant he'd just be standing on the side lines for most of the practice. Doing a double take at the sheet of paper, Sean rubbed his eyes once more to see that it was legit, he was in fact back on the relief team. Coming out of the trainers office, Jason looked on at Sean to see that he had read the sheet for the day. Walking up beside Sean, Jason looked at the sheet to see as usual he was on the first unit, which was no surprise. Turning to look at Sean, Jason smiled before he attempted to head out towards the courts.

"Jay, can I talk to you for a second?" Sean asked as he walked over towards Jason "I thought you were talking to coach? I mean I thought I was getting some minutes on the second unit mixed with the first unit" he asked

"Yeah, I thought so too…I knew something look different" Jason replied

"I mean I know I've been playing well enough to at least beat out Roberts" Sean said

"I wouldn't underestimate Roberts" Jason replied "He's reliable" he said as Sean looked at him strangely

"What is this about?" Sean asked

"I can't stick my neck out for you if you don't intend to help me out" Jason replied "I asked you specifically to hang out with Serena and I go over to see some annoying brunette there" he said

"She said she was going to just hang around her place all day….Jay, I can't babysit your girl" Sean reasoned "I'm a basketball player not a babysitter" he said

"And I recognize that. I'm not a fool, I'm not going to help you because clearly there's no loyalty between us" Jason told him

"Loyal? Jay, I've been there" Sean reasoned

"Not this time. I really depended on you this time, I trusted you and you let me down" Jason said "I'm sorry, but you need to work your way out of this…you need to prove yourself rook, it's a blessing that you even got considered to get to first unit" he said "You have to wait your turn and take advantage of opportunities, whether it be fetching ice to put in to an icee" he said "I'll see you out there" he said before he walked off down the hallway to give Serena a quick kiss before running out on to the court. Coming out behind Jason, Sean flipped his jersey over as Serena looked over at him. Waving towards him, Sean ignored the blonde as he continued to run out.

"Sean. Sean. Sean" Serena called out as he continued to run out on to the court, completely ignoring her.

* * *

_**[Flashback to Earlier]**_

_**Getting up from his seat on the sofa beside her, Tyler walked towards the window to look out at the bustle of the New York streets. Looking on intently, his eyes began to water a bit before he quickly wiped his eyes free of any tear that wanted to come. Feeling the vibration of his cell phone against his leg, Tyler was sure that it was Damien calling for some mundane task but it was just something he couldn't deal with at the moment. Tyler wasn't sure if he could even handle what he was dealing with at this moment. Turning back to face Eleanor, Tyler struggled with how he should react as he wanted so much to portray an array of emotions but at this point the only thing he saw as fitting was to just listen. Let her explain why he may hope to seek comfort in the words that he was hearing.**_

"_**Why'd you feel the need to hide this? Why do I have to research what's going on with you like your some damn story?" Tyler asked as he tried to keep his emotions in check**_

"_**Because…I'm stubborn. I'm my father's daughter and my mother's headache" Eleanor laughed at the memory of her parents "I believe you have the same tendency, take on the battle with no regard for asking for help until it was absolutely necessary but even then, we still might not ask" she smiled**_

"_**The people I love know my struggles. I may not have told you, but they know all there is about me" Tyler said**_

"_**And I hope that you will trust me enough to tell me your pain because I think you've carried it for quite some time" Eleanor said as she smiled weakly "My father always raised me to be strong and independent, he used to say "Ellie, the world doesn't wait for you to grow up or to adjust. You either get or get left behind trying to get it". I never understood what the hell he was talking about because I was just a little girl then. My mother, she was a housewife. She did the cooking, the cleaning, organized the dinner parties, wore the cute dresses, dolled herself up in front of a mirror for hours…she was my father's most prized possession, and I hated it. I hated that she was everything that I didn't want to be as a woman. School was my only source to show my father that I was capable of being a sound business mind like himself. I joined debate teams specifically to argue against the boys and to prove they were dead wrong, I could've been taking the extreme approach but I didn't care, I just wanted to beat the boys. My father wanted me to stay in my place because he had caught a lot of flack for it with his golfing friends, but once I graduated from high school…he realized that I was in fact smarter than all the boys. I fell in love, loved my husband but I didn't change my mentality…I in fact thought I was smarter than Harold….**_

Paying close attention as she took notes in the meeting, Blair focused on the key aspects that Louis was going over. It wasn't guaranteed but Blair was assured that she'd be able to get bumped up to Junior status for a trial purpose since she had worked with Louis on the St. Bart's project that was going to be featured in the magazines spread. Feeling the vibration of her cell phone, Blair looked on at her phone to see that it was Dorota calling. Wanting to ignore the call, Blair let the thought run across before the meeting finally came to it's conclusion. Giving silent apologies to Louis, Blair quickly made her way out of the board room and in to the stair well.

_**My whole life was based upon being the best, not because I wanted to lead some feminist movement but because I hated what my mother represented. She allowed her dreams to slip away while she catered to someone else's. Harold and I had our problems in our marriage, which ultimately led to us divorcing but the drive never changed. My focus was to be the best and I hadn't even realized that while I was great and powerful in one area of my life, I was the absolute in worst in another phase of my life and that was being a mother. I never knew what it was to be there for my children because my mother was in to appearances and the details, so I didn't know to listen or show up to events. I didn't know. When my parents had died, I just assumed that I was fine the way I was because no one had never said anything different. I just assumed that my focus in life were the correct one…. **_

Making his way in to the loft, Dan carried the grocery supplies that he promised he'd pick up for his dad. Sitting on his favorite playing stool, Rufus strummed his guitar before he quickly put it down on it's stand. Putting everything in correct place as he remembered it, Dan grabbed a beer from the fridge before he walked out to see his father had his coat on as it seemed he was prepared to leave. Standing in confusion for a moment, Dan looked on his father before Rufus walked over towards the door to open it up. Motioning for Dan to come along with him, Dan reluctantly put the drink down before he walked over towards his father.

_**Now….now I want more than anything to change the focus, to get the memories that I should have at this point in my life. I want every second to mean something in my kids lives. I want them to know without a doubt that they are fine the way they are because I'll love them all the same. I want my change to begin today not because of turn of events but because I want to leave my legacy through them, not through a piece of fabric" **_

Pacing the floor of the lobby, Tyler wanted to busy himself with work that he knew needed to be done. He was on the cusp of breaking the biggest story that could put him on the map, and as delicate as he wanted to handle it, Tyler knew that it was going to be a game changer for his career. His focus should've been on his career, the very thing he had slaved away to be the best at but he just couldn't shake the conversation he had with Eleanor early on. He had every opportunity to get back to the life that he knew, the only life that made sense to him but something just couldn't keep him from walking towards the life he almost had as a Waldorf. Turning his phone off completely to ignore any calls that could come in, Tyler made his way out the building to hail a taxi.

_**[End of Flashback]**_

* * *

Tapping her foot nervously as she sat on the sofa, Blair looked on at her watch as she waited for her mother to come down. Dorota had told Blair that her mother would be down shortly to speak with her, which Blair tried to her best to put off to another time with the pressing deadlines that she was under at work. Blair knew that she didn't have much time to make up and if she was going to make a lasting impression on The Madame then it had to be now. Just as Blair went back and forth on whether she should stay, Dan and Rufus came walking in to the penthouse to her surprise. Wearing a look of confusion on her face, Blair immediately got up from her seat just as Dan began to notice her presence.

"Okay, is this like some attempt to get us back together or something?" Dan questioned as he looked over at his father

"Seriously?!" Blair questioned as she looked over at Rufus then over at Dorota who stood off in the corner

"Appreciate the concern but Blair's clearly moved on…." Dan began to say

"Oh, I have not…you see me one time with Louis and you make it out to be something that it isn't" Blair replied a bit annoyed with Dan's accusation

"You're around him a lot, it's becoming a bit obvious" Dan replied

"Because we work together for the umpteenth time!" Blair exclaimed as the elevator doors opened up as Tyler walked out "And here is the other joy of my life" she said sarcastically

"Where is she?" Tyler asked as he looked over at Dorota

"We're asking the same question Sherlock" Blair replied

"I really don't know why I'm here, but clearly this is a family situation so I should go" Dan said before he attempted to leave but Rufus stood in his sons way

"You should stay" Rufus told him

"This is not my family" Dan replied

"Stay" Rufus told his son "I think you should for her" Rufus said

"Don't force him to stay, he'll end up resenting you and hold in his feeling which he'll put in a book, only for it reveal that he never wanted to stay to begin with" Blair replied

"And that's the key reason why I need to go" Dan said

"What have you done now? I mean clearly the only change that has happened is since this morning, since your talk with our mother" Blair said as she looked over at her brother

"I didn't do anything Blair. Maybe patience should be a thing you possess at the moment" Tyler replied

"Tact and loyalty should be amongst yours" Blair quickly replied

"Will you guys just be quiet!" Dorota yelled causing them all to turn their attention towards the usual "Now I have listened to you all bicker and argue, but now is more better time than any to listen. Just be quiet and listen" she told them sternly

"To what?" Blair questioned as Eleanor and Cyrus made their way down the staricase

"I think she wants you to listen to what she has to tell you guys" Rufus said as Eleanor and Cyrus walked up to join them all

"Can we all sit?" Eleanor asked as they each looked at each other skeptically before they reluctantly did as told.

"Mother, what is this about?" Blair asked after she took her seat

"I knew silence with you wouldn't last long" Eleanor laughed to herself

"Then you should know that patience isn't exactly my virtue either" Blair stated

"That I know more than anyone" Dan griped as Blair shot him a glare

"I think time has called for us to be honest with each other. Each and every one of us have had to say our peace, give our truths so that we can deal with what is rather than what isn't" Cyrus said

"Cyrus, what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Blair asked in a bout of confusion

"It means that I've been lying, to you all, I've lied for the past couple of months" Eleanor finally spoke

"And that's not surprising" Dan said before he quickly rose to his feet

"Dan, just sit down" Rufus told his son

"No, I don't want to sit for the next revelation. All these revelations always end up being something that will either screw up the present, and my present is all ready screwed up as is so for the sake of my sanity, I don't want any truth…I want the notion of a lie" Dan said before he walked over towards the elevator to push the button….

**When the days are cold**

**And the cards all fold**

**And the saints we see**

**Are all made of gold**

_Meanwhile…_

Standing in front of the door, he took a moment to catch his breath as his heart raced a thousand miles per minute. No matter how hard he tried to push forward, he couldn't help but feel like something was throwing him back in to the hurricane of mistakes he had made. The double doors opened up to reveal the scantly clad woman that he had inexplicably fallen in love with. With a devilish smile plastered on her face as she couldn't wait to spend the night with him, Carter looked up from the ground to reveal the tears that welled up in his eyes. Losing the lust inside, Vanessa knew that something was going on. Walking forward, Carter wrapped his arms around her as he just held her close to him, needing a reminder to know what he was fighting for.

"I'm in trouble" Carter whispered to her

**When your dreams all fail**

**And the ones we hail**

**Are the worst of all**

**And the blood's run stale**

Hearing the roars of the crowd as the electricity of playoffs had become ever so present, Serena dove her hands in to her jacket as she walked down the team hallway. Once the doors opened up, Serena rested up against the wall as she watched the team run out on to the court to begin their warm ups for the game. Looking over at the media attention that was focused in on Jason, Serena couldn't help but want to shy away from hearing the praises of her boyfriend. Noticing that the door opened up once more, Serena could see that Sean was the last to come out. Both exchanging looks, Serena wanted to talk to him explain that she had no clue that he would get reprimanded for listening to her. Sean ducked away from getting in to Jason's spotlight as he walked out on to the court. Turning her attention towards the end of the hallway, Serena couldn't help but feel the guilt for some thing that she had done that Sean was now paying for.

**I want to hide the truth**

**I want to shelter you**

**But with the beast inside**

**There's nowhere we can hide**

Hearing the sound of the doorbell, Nate put his laptop down as he welcomed the distraction from all things political. That's all that seemed to be discuss in his house by his grandfather, strategy and more strategy. If he had an opportunity, Nate would've called up Chuck to escape for a much needed vacation on the coast so that he could get back to what life was like when all he had to worry about was what marijuana he was going to smoke that day. Opening up the door, Nate looked down to see a package with his name on it. Bending over to pick it up, Nate opened it up to see that it was pictures of him and Asher kissing in a hotel, then holding hands on the supposed coast that he wanted to escape to.

"Truths always come out in the end. Damien" Nate read to himself before Nate began to panic. Closing the door behind him immediately, Nate quickly pulled his cell phone out as he walked towards the sidewalk to hail a taxi. Emerging from the shadows, Damien looked on as the taxi pulled up as Nate hopped in. Pulling his cell phone out, Damien didn't panic as much as he got Tyler's voicemail.

"Never mind, I took care of my problem" Damien spoke as he left a message for Tyler on his answering machine before Damien walked over to hail a taxi.

**No matter what we breed**

**We still are made of greed**

**This is my kingdom come**

**This is my kingdom come**

"Dan, just sit down" Rufus told his son

"No, I don't want to sit for the next revelation. All these revelations always end up being something that will either screw up the present, and my present is all ready screwed up as is so for the sake of my sanity, I don't want any truth…I want the notion of a lie" Dan said before he walked over towards the elevator to push the button. Feeling the time tick away so quickly, Eleanor gripped on to both Cyrus and Rufus's hands to see the look of comfort they both offered her.

Noticing the gesture, Blair couldn't help but feel her stomach sink to the pit of her stomach. How could a woman so strong need the hand of two men as some form of assistance? She questioned to herself.

Feeling like she was on the cusp of revealing her truths, Tyler looked away wishing that he could drown out of the moment. Fade back to where it was all so simple.

The elevator doors opened up, nothing holding him back from walking away like he was taught to do by his very own mother. Nothing stopping him from what his reality had become, forever the outsider.

"I've….I've been diagnosed with breast cancer" Eleanor struggled to say

Nothing stopping him but her truths.

**When you feel my heat**

**Look into my eyes**

**It's where my demons hide**

**It's where my demons hide**

**Don't get too close**

**It's dark inside**

**It's where my demons hide**

**It's where my demons hide**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter:**

**Imagine Dragons- Demons**

**Author's Note: Another cliffhanger. I know originally you all were worried about Carter, but you had to have known I wasn't going to do anything to Carter. Carter's getting shot at was simply a part of his storyline to getting out from under Dominic and finally joining up with Nikki. So I just gave you guys a mini panic attack. Now I'm sure you guys are breathed a sigh of relief when Carter was fine then went back in to a panic with Eleanor. I wanted Eleanor to have an impactful storyline and I wanted it to tie in with Dan because I think that this is an issue that can either bring a family together or not. Dan reveals that the reason why he's so harsh on Eleanor is because in some ways, she did exactly what Alison did. So I enjoyed Eleanor taking initiative to try to appease her kids and trying to be a mother to all regardless if she got rejected. I want to handle this issue with as much care as possible and that's why I've extended the chapters by two. I can't say that I know fully what it's like to have a loved one go through breast cancer but my mom had a scare and I just remembered being numb. So I think Dan, Blair, and Tyler will all have different reactions but their love for Eleanor is still there.**

**So if you have had or have someone or know of someone dealing with Breast Cancer, I would love to hear a bit about because like I said, I only experienced a scare with my mother. I don't want you guys to think I wrote this in for an OMG moment, but I wrote this in because I think sometimes in life we get so caught up in our own problems that it takes a grander issue to make us realize that what we're dealling with isn't as bad as we make it out to be. So I'm looking forward to writing this story and next chapter as it all begins to unfold with Eleanor and everyone else. I thank you all for reading and I look forward to your replies.**


	15. Everybody's Fine

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews, I greatly appreciate them. I also wanted to thank those who shared their own stories on breast cancer from someone they knew. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your feedback.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Fourteen- Everybody's Fine**

* * *

The words seeped out of her mouth, the literal words, the truth that she proclaimed was her own. Dan froze in the moment, unable to move forward or walk back towards the group. All Dan could do was look stare aimlessly at one focal point in the room as he slowly felt himself fade away, the pit of stomach sink lower to where any gust of wind could've knocked him down. Blair studied her mother's eyes for a moment as she felt that was the only source of honesty that she read on her mother. Eleanor Waldorf was the hardest person to read to other people but to Blair, she liked to believe that she was the only person that could read her mother like a book. There she sat in the chair, holding both Rufus and Cyrus's support that it seemed like for the first time she looked weak. Shaking her head, Blair couldn't believe it. Blair didn't want to believe it. Glancing over at Tyler, Blair could see that he wasn't as shocked as she was to the news, as if he expected it or knew of it.

"This…this isn't true. This can't be true, I mean this is just some joke your playing…." Blair began to say as she wiped away the tears that were falling

"Breast cancer isn't exactly something you joke about" Tyler muttered as Blair quickly looked over at him

"Why are you even here?!" Blair asked angrily "I mean this is clearly a family issue and you may have the name, but you're not family" she sniped at him

"Oh, really? I happen to think my last name makes me family" Tyler replied

"Which one, Adams or Waldorf? I get confused on which one you choose to go by" Blair replied sarcastically

"You two, stop it!" Dorota said as she got in between them. Eleanor's heart broke as she watched Blair and Tyler struggle to take the news so badly that they were pushed to continue their snipes at each other. Looking over towards the elevator, Eleanor and Dan looked at each other for a moment as he continued to be stunned with the news. Dan wanted to form words but he just didn't know what to say or how he should say it.

"Daniel" Eleanor said as she rose to her feet

"I….I can't" Dan said as he just shook his head in disbelief before he finally boarded the elevator to leave.

"Can't say I'm surprised on that" Rufus sighed as he ran his hand through his hair "I'm sorry about that, Dan just doesn't….he doesn't doo good with the whole change aspect" he reasoned

"It's okay" Eleanor said as she rubbed Rufus's hand

"It's not okay. Nothing is okay!" Blair yelled "You have breast cancer supposedly, and everything is not okay" she said as her emotions began to catch up to her "I mean how long?" she asked

"I'm in the third stage of this…it's an invasive cancer…" Eleanor began to say

"Wait, third? Meaning that one and two were passed. Was there a before with this?" Blair asked

"I've had an occurrence before but I did a bout of radiation" Eleanor said

"So you've known for some time? Why is it that I'm just now…why?" Blair asked in disbelief "I mean it's beyond clear that he knew, but why am I the last to know?" she asked as she pointed over towards Tyler

"Because I didn't exactly give her the chance to tell me. I found out on my own" Tyler told her as

"But you knew" Blair replied

"Look, regardless of how you found out, you know now. Your mother is not just dealing with something, she's dealing with breast cancer. Now you two can hate each other or not like each other all you want, but it's not about you anymore" Cyrus told them as Blair and Tyler just looked at each other for some sort of truce between them in that moment. Walking towards her two kids, Eleanor stood as they looked on at each other.

"I just want….I want you to be okay" Blair cried before Eleanor extended her arms for Blair to enter. Standing back to look on at what was now his family, Tyler could only put aside his issues and cling on to the notion that this wasn't about him. Nothing else needed to matter in this moment.

* * *

**[Dan's P.O.V.]**

I know what you're all thinking. What a fucking ass? Once again Humphrey walks away and shits on the only family that's been there for him. Maybe you're right. Maybe you're all right in this scenario but until then…understand me, understand that I can't process this. You ever have those moments when you're whole life becomes a haze. It's like no matter where you turn for that one bit of an epiphany, it just doesn't seem to apply to your life. I couldn't stand there and say a word because I'm not even sure how to make anyone else feel better at this better. I can't cure her. I can't do a damn thing, so unless I can do any of those things…there's nothing that I could've done or said. So I'm the fucking ass, I'm the ass that can't deal with all of that right now. Not now. Not ever.

_**-Monday-**_

The voices on his answering machine are starting to feel like the voices that just became so engrained in my thoughts. My dad would call and urge me to call back, while hoping I would get out of my asshole phase to call up or at least acknowledge the situation. It's been the dubbed the "situation" now. I find it to be hilarious because it's so human like to let words hurt us. Let's forget that the word cancer can not literally kill us, the actual cancer can but let's save face and make it pretty and call it the situation like the guy on fucking MTV. Once my dad's voicemail finishes, I get the peaceful call from Jen. She wants to talk and gage how fucked up I have to be to walk out on Blair and her family during a crisis. I definitely won't pick up that call because it's not like I haven't asked myself the same questions.

I'm so sick of hearing the beep sound. It's every two minutes. Beep this. Beep that. Beep it's such and such calling. Beep call me. Beep what the fuck is wrong with you. Beep. Beep. Beep. I just pound back another beer as I'm aiming for a hundred beers a day now. Who says I don't have goals? I have a goal to be drunk by five in the afternoon. That's my goal because what other reason do I have to be sober.

Beep. Beep, call me. Beep, I just want to talk.

"Beep, leave me alone" I mutter to myself before I take another swig from my bottle then eventually decide to take matters in to my own hands. End my misery and theirs for even caring about a sad fuck such as myself. Yanking the plug out, I gave the beep it's final goodbye.

**Just because I'm losing**

**Doesn't mean I'm lost**

**Doesn't mean I'll stop**

**Doesn't mean I'm across**

_**-Tuesday-**_

I sit in front of my computer and no words manage to come out of me. That seems to be the theme all the way around. No word Humphrey. I have ideas on top of ideas of what I could possibly write about to show potential agents that I'm worth the investment. I'm the writer that wrote Insider. I'm a writer. And yet no words come out. My drunken thoughts have enabled to see past the haze, to see the dream that I make up in my mind but as soon I go to my office and attempt to sit in front of my computer…no words.

I'm beginning to think the computer screen is mocking me. I type and nothing but a blank screen appears. The computer is conspiring against me. This computer believes I'm an asshole and has protested to not even take part in writing out my thoughts.

Or it could just be that I have turned the computer on.

I should call by now, but remember….no words.

**Just because I'm hurting**

**Doesn't mean I'm hurt**

**Doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserved**

**No better and no worse**

_**-Wednesday-**_

I can barely walk in a straight line as I head to the coffee shop around the corner. I can still feel the effects of last night hang over me as I'm pretty sure that I'm hung over. I have two stops to make, coffee shop then the liquor store for my usual beer pick up. I've purchased so much beer that the clerk is giving me the shameful eye. Can you believe him? How does a clerk at a liquor store all of a sudden become the judgmental ass that gives the shameful eye. You're selling the fucking product!? That's what I would say if the ass ever said anything to me about it.

**I just got lost!**

**Every river that I tried to cross**

**Every door I ever tried was locked**

**Oh and I'm just waiting til the shine wears off**

_**-Thursday-**_

Carter's the only one that has the nerve to stop by. I commend him for it but I think he's stupid because clearly I'm not the best of company. I offer my usual beer to him because it's basically all I have in my fridge at the moment. Carter tries to overlook the fact that my place is a mess and I'm in the same boxers that he saw me in last. I'm noticing that I have a peculiar odor to my body that I have to admit is grossing even myself out. Coming out of the kitchen, I crack open another can of beer before lounging on the sofa across from Carter.

Not much is said between us because I'm sure he's aware of the fact that there is now a "situation" to be had with the Waldorf family. I bet my dad sent him over. I bet my dad called him and told my semi friend to come check on me because let's be honest, we're not quite friends but we're better than what we were. I've forgiven him for screwing me over because let's face it, I'm getting screwed from every angle now. I begin to notice that Carter is giving me the shameful eye but I really don't care two shits about his shameful eye since he's the last person that should be judging me.

"What exactly is your plan for the day?" Carter asked breaking the lingering silence

"I was thinking about watching the season finale of The Real Desperate Housewives marathon on Bravo. I recorded it…so it's the only thing sustainable" I answer with no bit of excitement in my voice. I should be excited because Teresa and Caroline finally go H.A.M. on each other.

"A marathon" Carter said as he shook his head trying to process why that registered as my thing to do for the day

"Then writing of course" I tell him

"Good, what are you working on?" Carter asked with a bit of hope

"Nothing. I just have this thing where I think about it and I hope that I can actually put a word on the screen. It's all mental before the physical" I tell him as he looks at me like I'm a fucking dumbass

"When is the last time you showered?" Carter asks

**You might be a big fish**

**In a little pond**

**Doesn't mean you've won**

**'Cause along may come**

**A bigger one**

_**-Friday-**_

I can't write worth shit. My mental aspect on this thing now has gone to shit because mental has left me with nothing. I attempt to linger around the house but even that's getting tiresome. I go to get my usual beer and see that I have no beer in the fridge. Gasp. Horror. What has this world come to. I get myself looking presentable to get some more beer to avoid the shameful eye. I have to say from that moment I left my house…that's when shit got bad. Just think a bar, strip club, lap dance, girls kissing each other, angry bouncer, blue and red lights.

By the time I came to, I begin to smell a horrible stench that surrounds me. My face is plastered to the bench as my eyes flutter open to see that a piece of gum is stuck to the bench. I can only hope that no part of my face is covered with someone else's gum, but as I try to get up I find that I'm sticking more than I should. Sitting up I begin to register that I'm in a jail cell. I'm in an actual jail cell with the whole bars and everything around me.

Peeling the gum that is stuck to my face off, I don't even notice that someone is sitting in the cell with me. The scent became familiar to him as she was the only one he knew that would wear something so lingering. Turning to look on at the brunette, I couldn't help but notice that I wasn't in my own anything. Dressed in a coat, I looked down to see my hairy legs as I've stripped down to my boxers. Looking up once more, I know that based off of what I'm wearing, this can't be good.

"I didn't think you could get any lower….but yet, here we are. In a jail cell while you have gum stuck to your face, in a coat that doesn't belong to you along with you being in just your boxers" Blair said to me

"What happened?" I ask, that's all I could ask at this point

"Let's see, you were caught up in a drug raid at a strip club while you were straddled by a stripper" Blair told me as all I can do his rest my head against the wall behind me

"Did I sleep with the stripper?" I then ask as it's a thought that suddenly comes me before Blair suddenly leaps forward to hit me with her purse

"That's the question you ask?! That's the question you're dying to know!" Blair said as she hit me with her purse

"I'm in my boxers, what do you expect me to ask?" I ask as she finally gives up on hitting me

"I don't know Dan. I'm not exactly propelled to high five you for banging a stripper because I'm just too amazed that you've managed to become so screwed up that you resort to screwing a stripper" Blair exclaimed "I don't know, you might've…you might've had sex with a stripper" she declared

"Stop yelling" I groaned as I massaged my head

"You're unbelievable…you're truly unbelievable" Blair laughed in disbelief

"So I've heard. Why are you even here?" I ask

"Because you drunkenly called me at said strip club and so the cops called the last number thinking I was your pimp or something" Blair replied

"You could be a pimp…I mean your organizational skills are impeccable…I feel sick" I say as my stomach begins to churn and I have need to throw up

"You're pathetic" Blair said after a few moments "I mean you've truly reached your low" she said

"Thanks, so glad you've come to tell me what I all ready know and feel" I tell her

"Because once again it comes back to you. It comes back to the woe is me song that you continue to strum along" Blair said

"Yes, the woe is me song" I replied "What do you want from me?!" I yelled in response "I didn't ask you to come" I then reasoned

"No, you didn't but I came because I just had to see for myself on how big of an ass you've become. My mother tells you that she has cancer and you ignore any form of communication with her because a beer can gets your loyalty than she does" Blair said

"There's nothing I can do" I say after a moment of silence as this sinking feel returns inside of me that goes beyond me wanting to throw up "She probably doesn't even want to see me, we didn't exactly have a pleasant conversation last time we spoke" I sigh

"Probably not, but you show up anyways. You show up for the people that love you…you show up for me" Blair said

"You don't want me, so why show up…" I begin to say

"God, it's not about us. It's not about our relationship…it's about you being there to show support for something other than yourself" Blair told me "I don't want you back, so you can get that notion that you showing up would lead to. This version of you, I don't want or need…but for some odd reason, some mysterious reason, my mother is concerned about you" she said

"She should worry about herself, she'll need to" I say as the last thing I want is for Eleanor to worry about me in this state. She needs the worry, not me.

"I agree with you on that, but regardless of what you do or say…she loves you. So I'm going to give you a bit of advice" Blair said as she walked towards me to where our faces were a mere inch away from each other before she grabbed my face "Get over yourself and get it together!" she says through gritted teeth as she glares at me "I'm giving you one week. One week to get it together because I can't do this, and it's selfish of you to think that any of us should. We love you, we all do but we're moving on from the mess that is you because we can't help you until you help yourself. I have a mother that is sick and needs every bit of my support, so I have no support to give you until you show me your worthy of it. So one week, and if you can't get it together then stay the hell away from my mother because I swear if any part of her gets worse because of this display of patheticness that you're showing…I will kill you. I will chop off your balls so you won't procreate any other miserable little bastards, I will shave off this ridiculous mop of a hair style, I will tear your livers out because I'm sure you've damaged them as is, and I will throw your body into a beer box so at least some part of you will be apart of something that mattered to you. So try me Humphrey, I guarantee you will lose" she told me as it became official. I was scared shitless of her. Giving me one final glare towards me to let me know that she was all business, Blair walked over towards the front of the cell before the guard let her out before she turned back to look at me "She's having surgery by the end of the week, a lumpectomy. I hope that by the end of the week we'll know where you stand…I won't wait for you forever Humphrey and you shouldn't expect me to" she told me as the guard locked the cell behind her

"You can't leave me in here forever" I told her

"You put yourself in your own hell a long time ago, what's a few more hours in jail" Blair replied as she made her way out.

**And you'll be lost!**

**Every river that you tried to cross**

**Every gun you ever held went off**

**Oh and I'm just waiting til the firing's stopped**

**Oh and I'm just waiting til the shine wears off**

* * *

Looking on at Eleanor as she filled out paper work to take her scans, Tyler quickly ducked out of the room. Quickly pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, Tyler went straight to his e-mails to see that it was over filled with messages sent from his colleagues at work. Opening up one of the e-mails, Tyler looked on in shock to see that what he planned to handle delicately was magically working its way to the main story at the moment. Expecting Blair to walk through so that she would rip his head off, Tyler figured that he still had enough time to figure out what the hell was going on. Walking down the halls of the hospital, Tyler made his way outside before it finally dawned on him as to who he was responsible for all of this. Immediately going through his contacts, Tyler pulled up the number and within a matter of two rings the other end of the phone was answered.

"Hello there" Damien answered in his usual cocky manner.

"What have you done?" Tyler asked through gritted teeth

"What are you talking about…" Damien began to ask

"Don't play stupid. I get an inbox full of stories that rumors are spreading that Nathaniel Archibald was involved in a prostitution ring with prominent political players…this smells of your work" Tyler replied

"You really don't know me well enough to know what I smell of" Damien laughed

"Rich kids with vendettas, they all smell and do the same thing, differences is that it all ends up being stupid moves" Tyler told him "So tell me what you did and maybe, just maybe I can clean your mess" he said

"Why are you sitting on this story? This is a big time story that should've exploded by now" Damien laughed

"Because the thing about journalism is that you have to factor in the cause and effect. You release this story and you might just come across like a bitter ass that didn't get what he wanted" Tyler replied "So what did you do?" he asked

"I'm thinking that this is more of a you problem than it is me" Damien said "I've been catching with all things Upper Eastside and I failed to connect that I've been dealing with the long lost son of Eleanor Waldorf" he said

"This has nothing to do…" Tyler began to say

"I think it has every thing to do with it. You control the story and it allows you to smooth things over with Eleanor and Blair because let's face it, you go after The Archibald's, you'll be putting your family on the blacklist within the elite circle" Damien said "I forgot how twisted the Upper Eastside is" he laughed to himself

"I'm pulling the story and calling it as a mere rumor. Once I do that, I'm going after the ambassador's kid for his involvement in all of this. I'm sure with reelection coming up that it won't look good for your father" Tyler threated

"You can do that but it won't help. Nate is going to make this story for you. This story is going to unravel whether you want it to or not. You can't control the truth" Damien told him

"I control the story!" Tyler yelled

"This is a game you will lose" Damien replied "There is no if ands or buts about it" he told him "Welcome to the Upper Eastside, where your allies can change at any second" he told him before he ended the phone call

"Dammit!" Tyler said as hung up the phone

Looking on at her messages, Serena sat in the bed while Jason stripped down for a shower. On occasion, Serena could see Jason eyeing her in the mirror as if he were watching what she was doing on the phone. Making sure to mention exactly what she was reading and who sent the message, Serena wanted to avoid putting any doubts in his mind. Jason pretended as if he didn't care but Serena knew that he was making a mental note of what was going on with her. Sportscenter played in the back ground as Jason watched his highlights religiously on television to the point where even Serena was growing tired of watching him on television but wouldn't dare say so. Grabbing his phone, Jason sent a quick text before he tossed his phone on the bed before he continued to get undressed before he walked in to turn the shower on so he could let the shower get hot.

"Who are you hanging with today?" Jason asked as he made his way back in to the bedroom

"I have meetings with my publicist and then spa treatment with my mom" Serena said

"Really, your mom?" Jason asked "I thought you weren't talking to her anymore?" he asked

"I can't exactly not talk to her, she's my mom" Serena replied

"You can if she's acting like a bitch" Jason said as Serena just looked at him in disbelief "What? It's not like she isn't" he laughed

"Yes, but I wouldn't exactly come out and say that" Serena said

"Well I just took out the niceties to it all. I think you're better off without playing the games, either she accepts you or she doesn't and it just seems like she doesn't" Jason said

"My mother changes every month, she's never fully liked who I was but she loves me" Serena replied "But let's not talk about that. Let's talk about the whole Sean situation…do you think his minutes are going to go up?" she asked

"That depends on him. I don't like not being able to trust him" Jason said

"Jay, you can trust him. I'm the one that told him that I wanted to hang out on my own. I didn't want to be babysit, so I just wanted to have some time alone so I could rest up to hang out with you" Serena smiled

"So basically this is your doing that caused him to lose his spot?" Jason asked with a bit of a laugh

"In some ways" Serena said "I want to rectify the situation. I want to help him out and then bring peace between you two" she smiled "Is that so wrong?" she asked

"Well I'll think of a way you can make it up to me, but you should just call Sean" Jason said

"He won't accept any of my calls" Serena said

"You want to talk to him, then make it happen" Jason told him

"You can't make him talk to me?" Serena asked

"Your mess, you clean it up and maybe I might help him out with the basketball aspects of things" Jason said before he made his way into the bathroom with his phone in hand. Locking the door behind him, Jason pulled out his phone and began to text Sean.

**Jason: Hey, we need to tlk.**

**Sean: Bout wht?**

**Jason: I need help w/ smthg alng w/ tlkng to coach.**

**Sean: gym. Tlk 2 u soon.**

**Jason: Make it real soon. Offr won't stnd 4 lng**

**Sean: Give me an hour.**

**Jason: Cool.**

Finishing up his text with Sean, Jason went through his contact list to find his publicists number. Checking out in to the bedroom to see Serena looking on at her television, Jason closed the door once more gently before he called his publicist.

"Hey Jay" Jason's publicist said

"Hey, I'm going to send you some stuff and I need you to follow my instructions. I don't want this to be sloppy, make it clean" Jason told him

"Okay, I'll do what you want" Jason's publicist said

* * *

**[Dan's P.O.V.]**

Making my way out of the town car, I instantly begin to regret even making the call to him. I can tell that he wants to ask me questions about the what and the why's I did what I did, but instead he busies himself on his blackberry to clean up the mess that I've made. I don't need him to clean up my mess because I'm well aware of it. I just need him to drop me off and just go. In some odd way, I kind of expect this alternate reality to include Chuck waiting for me behind the closed doors of my townhouse. I think that in my mind, I wished something to happen that was about to become true. Once I opened up the door, I have to say that I was surprised to see my dad on the other side. They look as if they both are aware of each other, which is a bit of surprise since my dad can't stand Bart.

"Good morning" I say still a bit hungover from the night before "Can I interest you guys in any beverages?" I ask as I head in to the kitchen

"I cleaned out your fridge. There's no beer in there" Rufus told him as he folded his arm

"And you know that's not exactly something you should do in someone else's home" I muttered

"Do you really think drinking after you just got out of jail while being hung over is a good idea?" Bart asked

"You worry about you, and I'll worry about me" I tell him as I take a seat on the stool "So what is this? You two here together?" I ask

"We felt we should finally deal with the issue at hand" Rufus said

"I believe the person that you should be talking to about the issue is six feet deep. Maybe if you would've tried a couple years ago, you would've gotten your answer to this issue" I told them

"We're talking about you" Rufus replied

"What about me?" I ask

"You're in a rut, and slowly but surely you're losing control of your life" Rufus said

"I've all ready had this conversation with Blair and I can assure you that it was far more threatening than you two could ever make this. So I get that I have this week to figure it out but I'll do you one even better, I will bow out of all contention. I will do everyone a favor and leave" I told them as my dad looks at me with confusion

"What are you talking about?" Bart asked

"I've been thinking about getting a job with Rivers and doing the whole yacht thing again. I learned a lot and it definitely was much better than staying stationed here in New York" I told them "There's nothing here for me and I just need to accept that. I've gotten the clue, I'm a burden to all and I will rid you of myself sooner than you think" I added

"That's not what Blair meant" Rufus said

"I'm sure she didn't but it's what I want. I want to leave. I want to not get a constant reminder that I'm pissing people off because I'm not all smiles and happy about the fact that everyone around me is living it up while I just sit back" I tell them

"So you want to runaway?" Bart asked

"If that's what we're calling it, yes. I'm running to exotic islands and making a hefty pay off of it" I said

"You're running away from your problems, and regardless of where you run it'll still be here. She'll still be dealing with the same diagnosis" Rufus said

"That's not my problem" I say trying to push the guilt that was coming to me but I wasn't about to let them both get to me

"It's your problem, and acting like it isn't is only making things worse for yourself" Bart said

"My mom must've told you about her. You're not supposed to help me go back to the very person she couldn't stand" I told him "I mean c'mon, my mom told you all, she mentioned that Eleanor had her agenda when it came to me, which she was right about" I said "She was right, mom was right all along…Eleanor Waldorf only had interest in me because I reminded her of Tyler. Alison saw past it all while I was under this delusion that it was real, none of it was real and I'm finally doing what mom always wanted….getting the hell away from all things Upper Eastside" I told them

"No, what you're doing is making a rash decision because you feel like it'll all end up bad for you. Not everyone get's it right the first time out of high school, some people have to wait for their big break or their chance to shine…but it doesn't mean that it won't come" Bart told him

"I don't care anymore. All I care about is just getting a fresh start and I'm doing that. I'm giving my weeks notice and I'm going to allow everyone to move on from me ever existing in their lives" I said

"I never pegged you to be so dramatic" Rufus said "And I never pegged you to be a quitter. You're quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your friends, you're quitting on people that genuinely love you, you're quitting and there's no other way to call it" he told me

"I call it acceptance. I'm accepting that there's no place for me in New York" I told them

"Maybe not, but it doesn't make you any better. It makes you weak and a coward because every one leaves a footprint behind when they leave, something that people will remember them as….and yours will be that you were too scared to face the big bad truth" Rufus told him "And I would hate for you to regret any part of your life because of you being scared. I get that it's all bad right now, but I promise you if you fight it will get better" he said

"I don't have time to wait for it to get better because regardless of what I want, it always ends with someone leaving. So if I never hope or fight, then things will work out as everyone wants them" I reasoned as some bit of me started to crack

"No one wants you to leave. We just want you to realize that there's a place for you, you just have to start believing that" Bart said "I don't want to turn you into anything that you're not, I just want to help you find the man that you are because I promised your mother that I would do so" he said

"I'm nowhere near the man I can be. I couldn't find him even if I tried" I said

"Then maybe you need to dig deeper" Bart said

"She's not going anywhere soon, and I can honestly say that maybe it didn't start off as genuine, but what she feels for you is real because if it wasn't then you wouldn't be so hurt. You can't punish everyone for Alison's mistakes as a mother" Rufus said as I just looked at him

"You think that's what I'm doing?!" I questioned in disbelief

"I know that's what your doing" Rufus told me as Bart and him shared a look as if this was the part where I was supposed to stop and think about it all. My dad walked over towards the door while Bart seemed to linger around. Walking towards me, I see him pull out a box that he had in his pocket to hand to me.

"The last time I talked with your mom, she was pretty sure that whatever relationship she may have with you would only be one that you initiated" Bart said as he held the box

"Why are you telling me this?…she's dead. She's not here, nothing about our past will help my future…it won't help Eleanor" I said as tears well up in my eyes uncontrollably

"I know that, believe me I know that" Bart said as he seemed to get a bit of emotional just holding the box "Even though you don't realize it, you're more like your mother than you care to realize. She had a knack for seeing the big picture and being the level headed one. When things didn't go right, she…she ran and that's what your doing" Bart said

"Am I suppose to feel for this? Because I think in the end what she did was worse than what I could ever do" I said as I begin to wipe my eyes at a rapid pace now "What's this?" I ask as I look from Bart to my dad

"She knew that at one point in your life, someday that you may want to have a relationship with her…she knew that there was a possibility that she might not be here" Bart said as she took a moment to compose himself "She left this key behind. This is a key to her studio in Hudson, she said that if and when he would go, he'd learn all he needed to know" he said as he handed me the box

"Nothing she can possess would help me" I said shaking my head in disbelief as I looked on the only piece I ever had of my mother

"Maybe, maybe not but now it's your turn to figure that out" Rufus said before the real brain twister came in for me. What the hell was I going to do with this key?

* * *

Getting out of the taxi, Sean paid the driver before he looked on at the restaurant. Rochelle had called him earlier to meet up for an early dinner, and without a question, Sean was more than excited to meet up with her. After meeting up with Jason, Sean had pretty much grown tired of Jason dangling a possible starting position on the team in front of him but he knew that Jason would be the only way he'd be able to showcase the talent he had. In some cryptic way, Jason wanted to stick around and be available if Serena called because he felt as if she'd need a friend. Sean wondered exactly what that was supposed to mean but he didn't really care to get further explanation on the matter as all he wanted to do was meet with Rochelle. Entering in to the restaurant, Sean smiled once he saw Rochelle sitting at the table all ready waiting as she appeared to laughing. Bypassing the hostess, Sean continued to walk in further to the restaurant and to his surprise he saw Serena sitting at the table. In near shock, Sean froze where he stood before Serena glanced over to see him.

"There he is" Serena said to Rochelle before she rose from her seat to wave him over "Hey, over here" she called out as Sean just plastered a smile on his face

"Hey" Sean said through gritted teeth as he walked over towards the table to join the girls

"How are you?" Rochelle asked as she got up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before he took a seat beside Serena as he could see that Rochelle was enamored with Serena "You didn't tell me that you knew Serena van der Woodsen. She called me up and told me that you two knew each other, and she got us these reservations….I of course being a fan of all things Serena invited her" she said

"No, I didn't for clear reasons" Sean replied still trying to keep his smile before he leaned back in his chair "What the hell are you doing?!" he whispered to Serena as she too kept her smile

"You were avoiding me, so this was the only way" Serena said maintaining her smile as she leaned back to reply

"You're crazy" Sean said in a sing song manner while he busied himself with putting his napkin on his lap while Rochelle was oblivious to there side conversation

"You should've called me back" Serena replied "Rochelle, I love your bracelet. Where did you get it" she said leaning over to look at Rochelle's bracelet

"Thank you. My mom got it for me" Rochelle replied before Sean tugged on Serena's arm for her to lean back

"This is some Kathy Bates crazy" Sean whispered to her

"Will you stop ignoring me?" Serena whispered in response before leaning forward "I love your mom's taste" she then complimented Rochelle once more

"I'm only doing what I'm told. We're not friends" Sean said as he sipped his water so that only Serena could here

"You know, I just realize that there's a new club that opened up…" Serena began to say

"Nobu. I've heard some much about it, but the guest list is insane" Rochelle replied

"Not really, I got two free passes for the year and I'm sure I could get another in with me. After dinner, we could just go over there to dance the night away" Serena smiled as Rochelle began to clap happily "How do you feel about that Sean? Seeing and hanging out with each other all night to where you have to talk to me and a friendship is inevitable" she asked as she wore an evil smile on her face before the waiter came over

"Can I get you guys started on a bottle of wine?" The waiter asked

"You've got enough friends, why drag me in to this craziness?" Sean questioned as he pulled Serena down to where they were ducked under the table

"Because I feel bad about what happened and you won't let me apologize" Serena said before they quickly popped up from under the table

"Are you two all right?" Rochelle asked

"Perfect. We're just the best of friends" Serena smiled as she looked over at Sean

"The hell we are" Sean muttered as he looked on at the menu

"I'm not leaving until you admit that we're friends and accept my apology" Serena whispered to him

"I'll have a glass of white wine… and never" Sean said before he directed the last part towards Serena before putting his menu down

"I'll take a sparkling water… and I guess your stuck with me, I'm sure Jay can think of things for us to do that will force us to be friends" Serena smiled as she directed a part of her response to Sean leaving Rochelle and the waiter confused with what they were ordering

"Can we get more breadsticks…. and some time alone, I mean that's the least you could do seeing as I'm forced to look after you" Sean said as he grabbed a stick of bread out of the basket

"Just admit it" Serena said before she turned to look at him

"Fine!" Sean groaned before he loosed up his tie "We're friends and I accept your apology, now will you go" he stated as Serena clapped excitedly

"Ha, I knew I'd wear you down" Serena laughed as she celebrated her victory before her cell phone began to go off to let her know she had an update. Pulling her cell phone out from her purse, Serena looked on to see that it was her publicist calling. "Excuse me" she said before she got up from her seat to walk out to take the call. "Hello" she answered

"Serena, have you seen the blogs?" Serena's publicist said

"No, why?" Serena asked

"There's a recordings out about you talking about Lilly" Serena's publicist said

"Recordings? What?" Serena questioned

"Yes, I'll send them to you" Serena's publicist said

Noticing that Serena had stepped outside, Sean tried to put his focus on Rochelle as he felt a bit of relief to not have Serena beside him. Making small conversation about their days and her excitement over meeting Serena, Sean could quickly pick up that Rochelle was a closet Upper Eastside lover that probably flocked to the gossip mags. Glancing over towards the window, Sean noticed that Serena looked a bit upset as she talked on the phone. Convincing himself not to get caught up in the craziness that was her world, Sean continued to munch on his breadsticks before Rochelle grabbed her phone and checked her updates.

"Oh, my God. Gossip Girl just updated her page" Rochelle said with a bit of excitement

"What is Gossip Girl?" Sean asked

"A site that is dedicated to Serena and her friends. It's basically followed them since middle school" Rochelle quickly explained "But today it's been updated that recordings are out of Serena saying that her mother is social climbing whore" she said as she read

"What?! Let me see that?" Sean asked as he grabbed the phone from Rochelle to see that Serena and her mother were posted as front page. Looking back towards where Serena stood, Sean couldn't help but notice that others in the restaurant had begun to take pictures and tweet what they were seeing as Serena was getting the news.

"Lilly just posted a statement…" Rochelle began to say before Sean got up from his seat and headed outside towards Serena.

"No, I didn't…I mean I did but I didn't leak the recording. I had no clue that I was even…" Serena protested as she spoke on the phone before Sean grabbed her arm while he walked them towards the street "What are you doing?" she asked him

"In the next minute, you're going to laugh and pretend like I just said the funniest thing. We're going to get in this taxi and go back to your place, and in no part of this taxi ride are we going to talk about what's happening" Sean guided her through as she couldn't help but notice that cameras were out recording her "Can you do that?" he asked before he began to laugh

"Yes" Serena replied before she busted in to laughter along with him while the onlookers whispered to each other before they eventually got in the car.

* * *

Busying himself with answering e-mails as he waited in the waiting room of the hospital for Eleanor to come out, Tyler was able to stop the story for a short time period thanks to the news about Serena and her family taking front page. Tyler knew that it wouldn't last long but eventually he would have to consider the fact that the story was going to come out sooner than later. Stepping off of the elevator, Blair tucked her phone away before she made her way towards the waiting room where her mother would be when she got out. Noticing Tyler sitting off in the corner with his lap top in his lap, Blair groaned in frustration as she knew she'd have to wait with him. Hesitantly walking over towards him, Blair took a seat across from him. For a moment they shared an awkward silence as the being civil with each other had been trying for the both of them.

"Where is Cyrus?" Blair asked

"He's back there with her. She took a break from the testing, but they still have to run some more x-rays" Tyler told her

"Has he called?" Blair asked

"You mean our father?" Tyler asked

"Don't do that. Just answer the question and move on with it, don't rub the sibling factor in my face" Blair said

"I'm not trying to, he's just our father and so he wouldn't exactly…" Tyler began to reason

"Just get on with it" Blair snapped

"Yes, he'll be in by tonight" Tyler said before a silence came between them as they both sat awkwardly "How is Dan?" he asked

"I don't want to talk about it" Blair quickly replied

"Okay" Tyler nodded "Is there anything we can talk about?" he asked in a moment after a silence came

"Not much, you know with my fear of being quoted in newspaper or something" Blair said

"I'm not that type of reporter" Tyler replied

"And what kind are you? The one that lurks and tip toes with the truth" Blair questioned

"I really don't want to bicker with you, not here of all places" Tyler said

"I don't want to talk to you" Blair replied

"Fine, we don't have to talk but we do have to be civil because that's what she wants. When she gets better, we can bite each others heads off then" Tyler replied as Blair glanced over to see Louis waving for her to come over. Surprised to see him, Blair got up from her seat.

"You can bet on that because I'm sure in the time span you'll do something to piss me off" Blair replied as she walked off

"Oh, you have no idea how soon that will be" Tyler sighed in frustration as he knew that Blair's statement was going to come true in a matter of days.

"Louis, what are you doing here?" Blair asked as she walked out in to the lobby

"I heard. Eleanor's assistant let it slip" Louis said "How are you?" he asked

"Of course the incompetence shines through when we really need her to be on top of things" Blair muttered "I'm good" she then replied

"Why didn't you say anything?" Louis asked

"I didn't want it to become an excuse at work" Blair replied "She's been in and out of the hospital prepping for her lumpectomy" she said

"How bad…what stage?" Louis asked

"It's stage three. The doctors are hoping that they can remove most of the tumor since surgery hasn't really been something she's looked in to because she thinks she's so great that she can beat anything" Blair said

"Your mother is stubborn, you should know that by now" Louis laughed as he began to rub her back "How are you though?" he asked

"I'm handling it" Blair reluctantly admitted "I can't really be a mess because I need to call upon the Eleanor Waldorf genes and be strong" she said

"You don't have to, at least not with me" Louis told her

"No, especially with you" Blair replied

"Where's Dan?" Louis asked

"Who knows" Blair sighed "He's not exactly in the state to be any type of help to the family, so it's just best that he stay away. I gave him a deadline to get himself figured out and with the days passing I'm sure he'll fall short of actually realizing that he's about to lose it all" she said

"Lose it all?" Louis questioned

"I know it's stupid to think that he has to be there for me, but I just…I expected him to be there" Blair said

"It's not stupid. I mean you two were friends" Louis said

"Were is the opportune word in this scenario" Blair said "I'm getting used to him disappointing me, and sadly…I think he's getting used to it as well" she said

"Well if you need support or just want to cry or anything that you may need….I'm here" Louis said as he looked her dead in the eyes "I mean it Blair, whatever you need…just ask" he told her as Blair couldn't help but be touched by his words. Walking towards him, Blair wrapped her arms around Louis to pull him in to a hug.

"Thank you for being here" Blair whispered to him as they continued to hold each other

* * *

**[Dan's P.O.V.]**

I had the box in my possession. I had numerous thoughts of tossing it in to the trash but for the life of me I just couldn't manage to. I didn't know why a stupid key would have such a hold on me, but I just couldn't seem to let it go. I tried to get sleep. I tried to write. I tried to scrounge together enough money to buy a case of beer but ultimately I knew it wasn't something that I needed. In a matter of moments, I found myself throwing on clothes as I took to wandering the streets of New York. I wanted to see it as just a aimless walk through New York, but I found that it was becoming a destination that I was walking towards. It was the only place I could think to go with my box in hand as I couldn't fathom leaving it behind. Why was a box having this type of effect on me? I questioned myself. I ran the question over and over in my head until I finally just knocked on the door. I was almost sure that this was a mistake but it was the only place that my feet and mind had lead me to at this time of night. Opening up the door, I was sure that he was surprised to see me there. For a moment, we stood in silence as if he wanted to be sure that it was me.

"Come in" Chuck said as he opened up the door wide enough for me to walk thorugh

"I'm sorry for coming by so late…I just needed…" Dan began to say

"It's okay. I more than need to get some sleep with you being a snorer and all" Chuck replied as Jenny just gave him a look

"I don't snore" Jenny told him as he walked down the hall

"That's what you think" Chuck replied as he continued to walk towards the bedroom. Turning her attention towards me, Jenny walked up to give me a hug before leading me over to take a seat on the sofa beside her

"How've you been?" Jenny asked as we both got comfortable

"I've been" I replied simply as a silence came over us "I don't know if you know this but Eleanor…she's, uh, she's been dealing with something" I struggled to say as I suddenly started to realize everyone dubbed it the "situation" at this point

"No, I haven't talked to Blair. I know that she's been a lot of time around her house lately, but I assume that is because of the break up" Jenny replied

"Yeah, the break up" I laughed softly as I realized that maybe now is not the time to talk about Eleanor.

"What's going on with you?" Jenny asked

"A lot" I replied "I'm doing it up big little sis. My relationship is over. I dropped out of school. I quit my job. I can't manage to get an agent…I'm doing a lot" I add

"So the suck fest has grabbed on to you" Jenny concluded as I just looked at her strangely

"What?" I asked

"The suck fest. I picked this word up on the internet. Whenever I have or Chuck has a bad day, we talk about what it was and we ultimately conclude that the reason for the bad day is that the suck fest has grabbed on to us" Jenny said as I shook my head

"That makes absolutely no sense" I told her

"It's not supposed to. It just allows you to blame something else rather than yourself" Jenny smiled "I'm sure you've been doing that though, blaming yourself for every little thing" she said

"If there's blame it's because I am to blame" I sighed as I leaned back on the sofa "I messed up everything" I told her

"Okay, and how do you plan to fix it?" Jenny asked

"Don't you want to know why and how I messed up everything?" I ask in a bit of confusion

"Not really" Jenny told me "Look, if you get caught up in the why and the how you did what you did, then you're only allowing yourself to pity you. If you know what you did, then you're cutting out half the battle in the story which is discovering that you were wrong" she said "So I just want to know how you plan to fix it" she stated

"I haven't come up with my fix it plan" I replied as I realize I still have the box in my pocket "Bart seems to think that this may help" I said as I showed Jenny the box

"What's in there?" Jenny asked

"Mom's key to her studio. It's suppose to help me find myself or something like that" I sighed

"She left that for you?" Jenny asked as a bit of emotions came from her in that moment

"Yeah, I assume it's nothing though" I tell her

"Why would you say that?" Jenny asked

"Because it's all she ever gave me…nothing" I replied as a silence came between us

"You ever think that the reason why you're in this hole is because of mom?" Jenny asked

"I try not to let her take all the credit for all things me" I replied

"Dan ever since we were little, you've always been the adult. Mom and dad were the artistic parents that had minimal structure and boundaries for us, while you put those structure and boundaries up for us. When mom left dad, you were the one that picked up the pieces and made sure that everything stayed the same. So much of your life you've always picked up the pieces for other people that you never really stopped to think about what you may feel during it all" Jenny said

"I didn't have time to feel" I sighed

"And when she died, you just…you shut off. We never really talked about what mom's death meant to both of us. We just accepted it and moved on like it never happened…we still act like it never happened" Jenny said

"She wasn't here, so it's easy to just do that" I replied

"Not when the main reason she was coming back to New York that night was because of you" Jenny said "Do you ever think about why she was coming back?" she asked

"No, I don't think about her. The last thing I ever want to do is think about her" I replied

"You put these pressures on yourself and when you don't live up to them, piece by piece you start to believe that you'll end up like her. She fell in love with a man from the Upper Eastside but ended up running away from it because she didn't belong. You think that is your story. You think that you don't belong, but you've always belonged…you're the one person between us that has found something that makes you belong in the Upper Eastside" Jenny said

"And what's that?" I asked

"You found a family that loves you" Jenny said "You found your way into a perfect situation that you needed them, like they needed you. So mom will never be right when it comes to that, but at the same time you need to find out for yourself the biggest question that I know you've always struggled with" she said

"What's that?" I ask as I begin to realize that my little sister is managing to speak perfect sense

"You want to know why you were never enough to her. You equate that to every other relationship you have because the main person that's supposed to want you, you never felt that. So when something goes wrong you always view it as something wrong with you…and I'm here to tell you as your sister, there's nothing wrong with you. You're a bit judgmental but there's nothing wrong with you" Jenny laughed as I couldn't help but laugh with her

"So you think I should go?" I ask

"I think you should stop being mad at the world because at this point…the world is waiting for you to get the clue and come live in it" Jenny teased "I know we haven't really been the brother and sister we should be, but I never stopped looking up to you and appreciating you for all that you've done. If it wasn't for you, I don't think I would've have the happy moments in my childhood. I love you and I'm always going to love you because you're my big brother" she smiled as she leaned over to hug me

"Thank you" I whisper as her words seem to hit the right spot

"You don't have to be perfect, you just have to be you" Jenny whispered to me "That's good enough" she said before she kissed the top of my head as I sunk in to her arms. For a moment we just sat in complete silence as she knew that nothing more needed to be said between us on the subject of my mother. Jen knew that it was my issue to deal with and there wasn't much that she could do but just listen as we both had our experiences with her. "We should probably work on your fix it plan" she then states to me.

* * *

Making their way through the lobby unnoticed, Sean looked out around the hotel halls before he made his way inside of Serena's suite. Checking her phone constantly with the updates, Serena became more upset by the minute as she read the comments along with the comments that her mother had made to the local media. Serena was unable to get through to her mother, so all Serena could do was hope that her mother would at least hear her out before jumping to any assumptions. Leaving a message for Jason to swing by the suite, Sean made his way out of the bedroom to see Serena sitting in front of the computer screen still driving herself insane with what was going on. Sean had always known that a girl like Serena van der Woodsen was always the subject for any news story, which he was sure that she had come to like but seeing this side of her, seeing how it truly effected her life, Sean couldn't help but feel guilty. Walking over towards the computer, Sean closed the lap top while all Serena could do was protest.

"You're going to drive yourself insane with this thing" Sean told her

"Yeah well, it's my only source of finding out how the hell a recording of me talking about my mother was leaked out. She's not answering my calls, her statement makes it seem like she's hurt…I need to talk to my mom" Serena reasoned

"All of which you will, but not now. You will most likely do something stupid in the heat of the moment" Sean told her

"I'm not playing Sean" Serena said before she punched him on the arm before she got up from her seat at the desk "I need to be doing something, talking with someone" she began to say

"You are. You're talking to me…you're friend. You remember the whole protest you put up at the restaurant where you forced me to realize how we are friends and we can't avoid that. Welcome to friendship" Sean told her as he took a seat across from her

"I did it. That was my voice and everything on the recording" Serena sighed

"So then chalk it up to you being frustrated" Sean stated

"I called my mother a social climbing whore, she's not one to just get over things so easily" Serena said

"Look, you're clearly a public figure around here. Everything you say and do will be documented unlike everyone else. You shouldn't beat yourself up for saying something you probably didn't mean at the time because I assure you, it was someone that took a simple human moment that everyone has and turned it into something that it wasn't for the sake of sensationalism" Sean told her

"That's a lot of words, even for you" Serena told him "But although you make sense, it still doesn't help the situation. Things with my mother were finally starting to get better and this….this is only going to make things worse" she said

"Things can't be that bad with your mother, can they?" Sean asked

"You don't know half the things I've done in the past. I've used up all my three strikes and then some" Serena replied

"Just how bad were you?" Sean asked

"Too bad to tell you in the span of however long we have" Serena sighed

"I grew up around people and friends that disappointed their mothers on a daily basis over worse stuff than what you can come up with" Sean said

"You must think I'm a saint or something?" Serena asked softly

"Hell no" Sean answered truthfully without thinking "I'm sorry, that came out the wrong…" he began to say

"You meant it" Serena pouted as she folded her arms

"Yes, I meant it because I wouldn't want to be seen as some perfect person because at the end of the day there is no such thing. People make mistakes and say stupid things. I'm not going to place you on a peddle stool because I wouldn't do that to you, you should be free to make your mistakes, it's what you do after the mistake that matters most in the long run. You're….you're not half bad" Sean told her reluctantly as a silence came between them before the sound of the door opening caused them to look away from each other. Making his way inside of the penthouse suite, Jason tossed his gym bag on the floor before he made his way over towards Serena and Sean.

"I got the messages. What's wrong?" Jason asked

"A recording got out about me talking about my mom. Now it's going viral and my mom won't even talk to me" Serena told him before he looked over at Sean for a moment

"Can we talk?" Jason asked before Sean got up from his seat to follow Sean out into the hallway "Thanks for being there" he told him as he looked in on Serena

"Well it's not like I was there by coincident" Sean told him as he noticed how weird Jason was acting "It's like you knew something was going to go down or something" he said as he looked on at Jason skeptically

"Something like that" Jason replied "I'll see you at practice and as promised, you'll be in the rotation come game time. Just don't let me down again" he told him

"Yeah, sure" Sean said after a few moments "She's really upset, so I just tried to avoid all media outlets so she wouldn't go crazy" he told him

"She'll be fine. Lilly is just trying to get attention" Jason replied as Sean wasn't quite sure if that was the right response in how to handle the situation. "I'll see you" he said before he made his way back inside the suite while Sean could only catch a small glimpse of Serena and from what he saw she was distraught.

* * *

**[Dan's P.O.V.]**

Standing across the street like I had the first time in coming upon the Waldorf Penthouse, I find myself digging my hands in my pockets even more now with nervousness. A part of me half expects Nate Archibald to walk up with some smug smile on and how I should handle the warden of the house that was the feisty brunette that was once his love transformed in to mine. It was all so strange how the roles were reversed, how it all changed for me that day on this exact corner. Making my way across the street with my duffel bag hanging on my shoulder, I begin to realize that it's too late to turn back now because I've gone to far to just turn back now. Greeting the late night security team, I make my way on to the elevator to board. Nervously I play with the straps on my duffel bag before the elevator doors open up. Taking my time, I step off the elevator to see that she's just about to head upstairs to bed. Surprised to see me, Blair is unsure of how to greet me but by the scowl on her face she's prepared for another argument. Dropping my duffel bag on to the floor, I show her that I don't want to fight.

"What is this Humphrey?" Blair asks as she lets out a sigh "I'm not in the mood for a fight" she says to me

"You look like you are" I tell her

"That's because with you I always have to stay on guard these days, but if you came to fight then we might as well bump up the deadline date because it will be your last…" Blair began to say

"I came by to see her before I leave" I interrupt

"Leave? For where?" Blair asks

"I'm going up to Hudson for a few days. Bart gave me a key to my mom's studio and he thinks it'll be good for me to go up there and check it out" I tell her as she begins to soften

"Are you ready for that?" Blair asks

"No, but life doesn't wait for you to get ready, right?" I tell her as a silence comes between her "Thank you for bailing me out the other day. I never got a chance to say that and I figured that now was as good as a time as any to do so" I say trying to break the tension

"I contemplated not doing so at first, but I guess…I guess regardless of what we are, I still want to help you" Blair told me as the silence lingered once more "You should probably go see her, I mean if that's what you came for?" she asks

"I came to see her" I told her before I made my way over towards the staircase to head upstairs. Slowly walking down the hall, I expect to look in her office but I find that to be useless because she's in no condition to pull her all nighters. Coming out of the bedroom, Cyrus is surprised to see me walking towards the bedroom door. "I'm sorry for…" I begin to say before he just opens up the door for me to go in

"You don't have to explain anything" Cyrus says as I look in to see her in the bed trying to drift off to sleep

"Oh, for crying out loud Cyrus!" Eleanor begins to say as she sits up slowly only to realize that I was standing at the foot of her bed. Her eyes immediately begin to fill with water as she's overjoyed to see me. I can honestly say that I've never seen someone look so thrilled to see me, but then I don't think anyone loves me the way this woman does.

"Is it too late?" I ask nervously

"It's never too late for you" Eleanor smiles as she moves over in the bed to make a spot for me beside her "Come here, sit with me" she pats the spot beside her on the bed as I oblige her wishes.

"I don't think I've ever been in here" I tell her

"To tell you the truth, I don't think I've been in here as much either" Eleanor says as we laugh at how true that statement could be with her schedule being the way it is before a silence comes between us

"I'm sorry" I state knowing there was no way around what I wanted to truly say to her

"You don't have to" Eleanor says as she rests her hand on top of mine

"I feel like there should be some sort of relatable story I could draw on for comparison to how I've been acting lately, but I think my behavior has been in a class all by itself" I tell her as I look over at her

"Let me guess, it was tagged as ass or jackass" Eleanor says to me

"Both. You're daughter is big on the name calling but she wasn't wrong for it" I reply

"She's not big on tact…she gets that from me" Eleanor laughs softly and I swear I lock away her laughter in my memory bank to remember and recount for down the road

"I guess I just pushed you so hard to test if you really did care…test if you were really there for me or what you wanted me to be" I admitted

"Daniel, listen to me closely and listen good. I don't want you to be any thing other than what you are. I love you as is and what you can become, there's nothing about you that could make me think less of you" Eleanor said "We're not exactly the traditional family but we're family nonetheless" she smiles

"You still see me as family?" I ask

"I've never stopped" Eleanor replied as we share a silent confirmation that doesn't need to be filled with teary eyes or long drawn out reasons as to why I acted the way I did. All she cares about is having me here and having me here for days to come.

"I read a few books on the "situation" as we're dubbing it now" I tell her as I relax in to the pillow behind me

"I hate that, I mean I feel like it should be something more tactful than that" Eleanor agrees

"Exactly, it reminds me of the MTV guy. I think we should call it "unwelcome visitor" until something really stands out" I tell her as a suggestion

"You do know how bad that sounds, right?" Eleanor laughs as I can't help but realize that it sounds like something a woman names her menstrual cycle "How about we just call it what it is? Cancer" she says

"Do you like that name?" I ask as she looks down at her hands for a moment

"I really don't have a choice. I can call it every other name under the sun but it'll remain the same…breast cancer and I" Eleanor says as her eyes begin to water

"It doesn't have to be. I'm more than happy to pretend it's something else" I smile

"And what are you going to call it when I start losing my hair or start throwing up from treatment?" Eleanor asks through the laughs she's trying to let out to keep things light between us

"I can call it that reminder that I need to cut my hair, then I could call it my indicator to stop eating left over food after two days in the fridge" I tell her as she just laughs "I can call it anything as long as it's good with you" I tell her

"I've never been one to be delusional. I've always been the realist" Eleanor says

"And I've never been one to accept failure…guess we both have to accept something on this journey" I reply "You start losing hair, I start losing hair because the way I see it…you're a fashion trendsetter that I should follow. Regardless of the good and the bad days that may come, I'm still going to love you all the same because call me delusional, but I happen to think this thing name breast cancer just met a woman named Eleanor Waldorf, who I happen to believe can kick it's ass any day of the week. So that's why I don't care to know this stupid breast cancer name because it won't be around long enough for me to remember" I tell her as she can't help but smile through the tears "I'm not losing you…I've all ready lost one mother and I don't think I can handle losing a second mother. So if you need me to fight, I'll fight for you, I'll do anything you ask…I just need to know that you'll be fighting along with me because I kind of need you in this path to finding myself because I don't think I like this guy I've become" I say as I look away from her so she doesn't see my tears

"You were just a little lost, there's nothing wrong with being lost because we all get lost a time or two" Eleanor tells me

"Well it's good to be home" I tell her after a few moments pass before she smiles at me once more. Talking and laughing, we both laid in bed not caring about what time it was as the important thing was to just be with each other.

* * *

**[Dan's P.O.V.]**

It was well into the morning before I realized that my alarm was vibrating in my pocket. I was expecting Cyrus to come back in to let me know that it was getting late, but I guess he wanted to give us time. I enjoyed the time, I needed it more than I thought because it was like reconnecting with a part of myself that seemed missing for some time. Looking over to see that Eleanor was still asleep, I moved slowly as I made my way out of the room. Heading downstairs, I could see that Blair had fallen asleep on the sofa with paperwork surrounding her. I guess things hadn't changed, Blair was still very much focused on moving up at her job and from the looks of things she was doing just that. I didn't want disturb her as I wanted to make a quiet getaway in all of this, sending a text message before I continued my walk towards the elevator, I soon heard Blair begin to stir awake.

"Humphrey" Blair said as she sat up on the sofa before I turned to look at her

"I was trying to sneak out" I told her

"How was she?" Blair asked as she got up from her seat

"She's good. We just got caught up in talking then lost track of time" I told her "Don't worry, I didn't upset her. So you don't have chop anything" I added

"I wasn't going to chop anything off Humphrey, I just needed to scare you a bit and make you realize that I had reached my limit" Blair told me

"Well you accomplished that" I nodded before I leaned over to pick up my bag

"So a few day, huh?" Blair asks

"Yeah, just going up there to find…I'm not quite sure what I'm going to find" I say as I begin to play with my hair

"Maybe your answers. I know that you like to think that you're over what happened with your mother, but I think this could be good for you" Blair said

"Good as in the sense that your glad I'm going to be gone for a few days?" I ask

"No, good as in I just want you to be happy" Blair said "I want you to be at peace with everything" she said

"I guess" I told her as a silence came between us "Did you mean what you said the other day in that jail?…that we were truly over?" he asked

"Dan…" Blair said as I knew she didn't want to get in to the heavy stuff

"I know. I know. I just thought I would ask" I quickly replied "Did I by any make deadline?" I ask

"You made the deadline Humphrey" Blair said

"Good" I reply "Well, I'll be back" I told her as I walked over towards the elevator while she followed behind "So we're back to Humphrey again? We haven't been back to that name since the first I started working here" I ask as I board the elevator before turning to face her

"Starting over isn't always a bad thing" Blair told me

"New beginnings and all of that stuff, right?" I ask her

"Something like that" Blair smiled

"If you need me, I'm just a phone call away" I told her as I could feel the timing of the elevator were going to cut off this conversation whether we wanted to or not.

"Goodbye Humphrey" Blair told as the doors began to close

"Goodbye Waldorf" I say before the doors finally close on us.

* * *

**Sometimes I get my head in a dilly**

**Feeling so lost, ticking you off**

**Now boy, you know me well**

**Said, I'm that kind of feeling**

**That kind of soft, that kind of silly**

**But when I'm in doubt, I open my mouth**

**And words come out, words come out like**

Letting out a yawn, Tyler looked over at the clock to see that it was still a bit of darkness out even though it was early morning. Deciding that it'd be best for him to go home and take a shower, Tyler closed up his computer and station as he prepared to head back to his apartment for a quick nap then go by to visit Eleanor before he'd have to do the day all over again. Checking his phone, Tyler made his way through the lobby before he made his way out of the building. Stopping short once he realized that someone was waiting for him, Tyler looked up from his phone to see that it was Nate.

"Don't make this hard on yourself. Drop the story or else it will get ugly for you. My family doesn't respond kindly to threats" Nate told him

"It's not a threat. I have facts on this" Tyler replied

"We'll see about that" Nate replied before he turned to get back in the town car

"I can help you…it doesn't have to be this way if you just beat the story from coming out" Tyler warned him

"And do what? Admit to the lies while my cousin is trying to do good for this state. This isn't about me, this is about putting a candidate through that's actually going to do something for New York as opposed to just sitting on their ass. You're only hurting those that really want the change, not me" Nate told him

"The truth always comes out, even when we're not ready to admit to ourselves, it always comes out Nate" Tyler said before Nate got in the car.

**Baby, there's a shark in the water**

**There's something underneath my bed**

**Oh, please believe I said**

**Baby, there's a shark in the water**

**I caught them barking at the moon**

**Better be soon**

Knocking on her door, Louis made his way inside his office to see that he had package waiting for him. Putting his files down on the table beside him, Louis walked towards the box before he began to open it up slowly. Pulling out the bottle of champagne, to the average eye it looked normal but Louis knew that it was only the beginning of bad things with this very bottle. Noticing that he had received his package, Bex made her way in as she walked up behind Louis.

"You're taking too long" Bex said

"It's not as easy as you think" Louis replied as he kept his focus on the bottle

"Well clearly The Madame thinks otherwise" Bex replied "Make your move soon or else you know what the consequences will be" she said

"You know maybe Blair will be more like Eleanor than we thought, she'll be able to see people for who they really are and won't be as naïve as you make her out to be" Louis said

"She's too eager, I'll stick with the naïve notion but it's cute that you believe otherwise. I'd use your assistance soon, The Madame doesn't take kindly to waiting too long for her results" Bex smiled as Louis just glared at her for a moment before turning his attention back to the bottle that read "Absinthe" on it.

**High in the sky, the song that I'm singing**

**A sweet little lie, I cry wolf, cry**

**Rabbit out of the hat, yes, so that's why I'm bringing**

**Some tricks up my sleeve, for noticing me**

**It wouldn't cause you any harm, I just want you in my arms**

**I can't help, I can't help myself**

Laying awake in the bed, Serena stared up at the ceiling as she found it hard to even think of sleep with thoughts of her mother plaguing her. Countless calls and Serena managed to get no response from her mother, which only meant that she was taking things badly. Trying to sleep, Serena eventually kicked back the covers on the bed before she made her way in to the bathroom. Noticing that she wasn't there beside him in the bed, Jason quickly looked over at the bathroom to make sure that the door was shut all the way. Grabbing his phone, Jason began to type a message on his phone.

**Jason: Thanks for handling that leaked recording. Serena can never find out.**

**Jason's Publicist: No problem. Give my best wishes to Serena**

**Jason: She'll be fine. She has me**

**Jason's Publicist: Aww, best boyfriend ever.**

**Baby, there's a shark in the water**

**There's something underneath my bed**

**Oh, please believe I saidB**

**aby, there's a shark in the water**

**I caught them barking at the moon**

**Better be soon**

"Will you hurry up!" Carter called out as he honked the horn before he looked over at Dan, who sat in the passenger seat.

"Okay, I set up my skype and every other video chat that way I can talk with Cyrus" Dan said as he looked on at his lap top

"I think you've covered all of the technology corners there is" Carter replied before he began to honk his horn again "Hurry up! I want to get on the road all ready" he called out before she made her way down the stairs with her bag in hand

"You know, I'm having second thoughts on saving your life. Who knew you'd be such a pain. I did have to say goodbye to my husband, you know the guy I'm married to" Jenny griped before she threw her bag in the back of the car

"Yeah well, you'd need someone to take you on this little Humphrey excursion and I said my goodbye promptly with my significant other and managed to make it on time, so no excuse" Carter said "Are we ready? Did you pack my snacks little Humphrey?" he asked

"Shut up and drive all ready" Jenny said before she hit Carter on his arm

"Do you think I should call the doctor?" Dan asked

"You've got everything covered" Carter replied before he turned the car on

"Are you sure?" Dan asked

"Dan, you'll be back in a few days. Better than ever, I hardly doubt any big changes will happen while your away" Jenny told him

"And on that note, Hudson here we come" Carter said before he pulled off leaving Brooklyn in his rear view mirror.

**Baby, there's a shark in the water**

**There's something underneath my bed**

**Oh, please believe I said**

**Baby, there's a shark in the water**

**I caught them barking at the moon**

**Better be soon**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter**

**Coldplay- Lost**

**V.V. Brown- Shark in the Water**

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you look forward to the fact that Dan is finally getting out of his rut. So now it's more like will it be too late. Eleanor's storyline will still be addressed so this isn't going to be swept under the rug. I look forward to your feedback.**


	16. What We Once Were

**Author's Note: Hey everyone. Thank you all once again for your feedback/reviews, I'm loving the reviews and the excitement you guys are showing and how you're voicing your opinions. Highlight of my day is reading the reviews. I have to rework the chapters a bit because I've definitely strayed away from the original titles, which isn't exactly a bad thing but I like's my organization so you ended up with another original that wasn't an actual ep from Gossip Girl. So I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to what you guys think.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Fifteen- What We Once Were**

* * *

Hitting the vending machine once more, Dan was resigned to take what the machine had to offer him. Bending over to grab his pack of gum, Dan wondered if he should try his luck for the fruit flavored but knew it'd only lead to another twenty minutes spent of him trying to figure the most legal way to get his desired snacks. Looking on at the cars passing by on the open highway, Dan couldn't help but feel his time away had helped him to understand himself a bit better. Though his trip had been extended longer than he had anticipated with all that he was learning, Dan was sure that the three weeks away were something that both Eleanor and his dad would feel were best served. Heading back inside the diner, Dan didn't have to search long and hard to find Jenny and Carter sitting off in the corner booth. Walking over towards them, Dan slid in beside his sister while he prepared his coffee to his liking while Jenny and Carter ate their pancakes.

"I think I should drive the last leg of the trip home" Jenny began to say

"I think not" Carter quickly replied "I'm not letting you're text loving self control the vehicle that I'll be in" he added

"Dan, I'm a good driver" Jenny protested

"I have to agree. I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of you driving anything. So in the spirit of keeping my life and sparing yours, you will not drive" Dan told his sister as the waiter brought out his stack of pancakes that he began to lament with syrup

"How is Eleanor?" Jenny asked "I know the surgery went well…" she began to say

"She's doing good. I talked with the doctors, which I know they're starting to hate that so many of her family members have her number, and he said that they think they got everything. Now it's just the chemotherapy that she has to endure" Dan told them

"That's good. I know Waldorf will be happy on that news. Have you talked to her?" Carter asked

"Briefly" Dan nodded "We kind of touched base here and there" he said as he began to poke at his food

"What does that mean? now that you've drawn us in with intrigue by that long drawn out answer" Carter asked with a bit of laughter

"Nothing, it just means that we talked" Dan shrugged as Carter and Jenny couldn't help but look at each other skeptically, knowing that with Dan there was a deeper meaning to everything.

"So there's no part of you, now that you're all on the right path, is thinking that maybe you could go back to how things used to be….which includes Blair?" Carter asked

"This trip wasn't about getting back with Blair. This trip was about finding the happy core of me" Dan told them

"The happy core?" Jenny questioned

"That sounds like crap I should've learned at one of my meetings for gambling" Carter reasoned

"Regardless of what you may think, the purpose was set forth with honest intentions to focus on myself…" Dan began to say

"So you would stop being a pain in the ass to everyone else. For a moment, I thought you were turning in to a mini alcoholic" Carter reasoned

"I like how you're blunt but yet not tactful" Jenny told Carter sarcastically

"Welcome to the dynamic that is the Dan and Carter bromance" Carter looked over to tell her

"Bromance? Really, you two?" Jenny asked

"It's not a bromance" Dan stated

"It's a bromance. It's so much of a bromance that I do have to admit that I have been getting a tad bit jealous of your interactions with Tyler, but I only see that as your means of getting back at me for my interactions with Chuck" Carter teased "But it's all right, you're healed and our love affair can start back up again. Shall I call the Fuk Me twins?" he asked as he laughed

"I think Ness would take exception to that" Jenny replied

"Point being, yes your intention was good but all in all, I know you two will find your way back to each other's orbit, if you haven't all ready" Carter stated

"No, on this return. The focus will be on helping in anyway to get Eleanor back on track, getting an agent, and cleaning" Dan told them as Carter lifted his hands in praise

"Holy God! He has seen the light, this is a changed man" Carter declared as Jenny just laughed "He's cleaning his house. This man is cleaning his house" he said as he clapped emphatically for his friend in excitement as Dan just hoped to avoid the looks that were coming their ways "Let's get out of here, we got a changed man to return home" he laughed as he got up to throw down money on the table.

* * *

Coming out of the weekly meeting, Blair looked on at her blackberry as she was on a mad dash to close up her work station so that she could make it in time for her mother's appointment. Blair knew that life would've been much more hectic if she didn't have Tyler's help. Surprisingly, Tyler hung around more than Blair would've liked but she felt a bit of relief that she would never express to him. All in the effort of keeping things peaceful for her mother, Blair bit her tongue on a lot of things that came with Tyler being around to the point where she began to wonder what it would be like to truly have a relationship with her brother. Whenever she found herself thinking about that stuff, Blair quickly rid herself of those thoughts as she put her focus back on work. Heading towards her station, Blair put her phone down on her desk before she looked on at her e-mails just as Louis made his way over bearing pastries in hand.

"Hey" Blair said as her eyes stayed glued on her computer screen "Why do you smell like blueberry?" she asked as she sniffed the aroma for a bit before noticing that Louis had her favorite pastries from her favorite bakery

"I told you I would repay you for the notes" Louis laughed

"May I?" Blair asked excitedly before Louis opened the bag wide enough for her to grab "You must never tell Dorota about this. She'd kill me if I was stepping out on her blueberry muffins" she said as she peeled the wrapping off around the muffin

"Your secret is safe with me" Louis laughed as she took a seat so that she could enjoy her food "So how is your day looking?" he asked

"Better now that I have these amazing muffins. In other departments of life, I'm trying to get in contact with my best friend who seems to be M.I.A. for the past couple of days, so I have to track her down while tracking down these files that Bex wants. Life is exhausting currently but again these muffins have made my day" Blair smiled "How did your project proposal go?" she asked

"They were a bit skeptical with the Victorian theme, but they're funding it" Louis told her "I have you to thank for the idea, which means you absolutely have to be my right hand on this" he told her

"I kind of expected to" Blair replied nervously "I mean of course I sort of proposed it because I knew you'd ask for my help, but I'm shockingly accepting the proposal" she said

"I think I knew I was being set up but I like the idea of working with you some more" Louis smiled "So much so that I think I've got a bit braver because of it" he said

"How so?" Blair asked

"You see, I have this notion that I would like to complete this meal for you. I want to add a appetizer, dinner, and maybe wine to this incomplete meal" Louis shyly told her

"Are you?" Blair questioned

"I am" Louis quickly replied

"I don't know what to say" Blair replied a bit shocked "I mean I know what I want…" she began to say

"I know you're about to give me every reason as to why you shouldn't, but I ask you to just think about. I get that you have a past and you want to focus on the future, which is good…it's what I like about you. Nothing in those plans will stop you from living a little and I just want to take you out…and if I should be so lucky, maybe even kiss you. You have to move forward some time Blair" Louis quickly told her as Blair just looked at him "Don't answer yet, show up at this winery Friday night and I'll know that you're ready to take that step" he told her as he wrote the address down before he slid it in front of Blair. Not letting her have too much of chance to voice her automatic answer, Louis smiled as he slowly backed away. Blair knew that they had danced around their clear like of each other but she never really asked herself if her like was the type of like that could be feelings. Looking on at the address, Blair held it up as she looked at it with much intrigue.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator, Dan couldn't help but feel like he was truly back from his mini vacation as he swore that he missed the sight of the penthouse. A silence lurked that let him know that Eleanor hadn't managed to escape down to her office to do any work, which was still an amazing thing on it's own. Walking in further, Dan looked around as the slight changes were easy to pick up on since most his time in high school was spent around the house. Hearing the sounds of humming coming from within the kitchen, Dan smiled to himself as some things remained the same. Walking towards the kitchen, Dan took in the sight of Dorota humming and singing as she cooked as she still believed that she was a secret rock goddess while she cooked alone in the house. Spinning with her wooden spoon in hand as he mic, Dorota was surprised to see Dan standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Immediately laughing to himself, Dan walked towards Dorota with a bit of laughter before he reached over to hug her.

"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret identity" Dan teased as he walked around to take a seat on his usual bar stool before grabbing a cookie from the jar

"I wasn't expecting you so soon Mr. Humphrey" Dorota told him

"I came in early. I wanted to see Eleanor" Dan replied "How is she?" he asked

"She's resting. She try to do work but Mr. Cyrus has stopped her from even thinking of work" Dorota told him

"And he's still alive?" Dan questioned

"That is still very surprising to me" Dorota smiled "She really appreciate to see you" she said as she began to chop her vegetables

"I hope" Dan said "I felt a bit guilty to be away while she was dealing with everything. I mean I talked with the doctors and did a bit of research but it doesn't beat the personal gage of seeing how someone is doing" he sighed

"Ms. Eleanor was happy to hear you were doing something for you. She is just fine" Dorota smile "How was your trip?" she asked

"It was…it was good. It was rough at some points, but it was much needed" Dan told her as he continued to munch on his cookies

"Dorota, can you send me up some tea please…and don't forget the cookies" Eleanor said as she buzzed in on the intercom

"I see she's well enough to eat your cookies" Dan smiled as he got up from his seat "I'll take it up" he told Dorota as he began to get a cup from the cabinet and pour some hot water into it for the tea. After taking a few moments to prepare her pallet, Dan made his way up the stairs towards her room to see that she was sitting up in her chair looking out the window. It was a strange thing because of all the time Dan spent over at the house, this was the first time that he had ever seen Eleanor in pajamas. Of course it was a matching pajama set of a silk button up top with the silk pants bottoms. Hearing the clinging of dishes, Eleanor looked over towards Dan with surprise on her face.

"This is the best surprise" Eleanor smiled weakly as Dan brought the pallet over to put on the table by her chair as he prepared her tea before handing it to her

"Don't get used to it, I'll have to start charging you again for my services" Dan replied as he flopped down on the chair beside her

"You look relaxed and refreshed. How was it?" Eleanor asked

"It was interesting. I saw my mother's studio, got mad, saw my mother's boyfriend, got angry, stared at the pictures in her studio, cried, talked with my mother's boyfriend, got understanding, stared at the pictures some more, got clarity, went to my mother's favorite bar where her friends sang tribute songs to her, got healed" Dan briefly described to her as she extended her hand out to him "It was all therapeutic. I could never do it again" he then laughed as he held her hand "You?…you still got the watcha call it again?" he asked

"Yeah, the pesky thing is still hanging around. I'm paying a fortune to get rid of it" Eleanor added to the humor

"That's our health care system for you, if you want something done correctly…pay for it and hope" Dan laughed as they enjoyed the laughter for a bit before the eventual sincerity of the issue at hand came up again. Dan figured that it was better to make her laugh first because it's not like she hadn't been thinking about the cancer, but he just wanted Eleanor to know that the cancer wasn't all he saw when he looked at her, he saw a person that was scared for the first time in their lives of the unknown.

"I've been looking out this window for a week now…just sitting here and looking at the people as they pass people" Eleanor said a she turned to look out

"See anything creepy?" Dan asked as he looked out with her

"You'd think, but I just don't see it" Eleanor replied "I see people walking dogs. I see people holding hands and laughing. I see mother's rushing with their kids in tow. I see dogs running to fetch balls in the park nearby….I see all of this and I just keep asking myself one thing" she said before she looked over at Dan "How come I don't remember ever doing any of those things? I mean I laid awake wondering why is it I never did not one of those things" she questioned

"Not everyone gets dogs, it's more of a responsibility after you get past the whole we got a cute dog phase of things" Dan replied

"Yes, but still…I never had that moment" Eleanor said as he could see tears well up in her eyes as they looked on at each other.

"You still have that chance" Dan told her as he squeezed her hand "I personally would love to roller blade in the park, the movies make it seem so relaxing" he said as she couldn't help but laugh "I've done the coffee in the park" he stated

"You're quite the addict when it comes to coffee" Eleanor agreed

"I know, it's a habit that I think writers are just born to have. I'm a coffee addict and I have yet to realize it" Dan replied as they turned to look out the window "You could play the guitar in your underwear, that's bound to be a headline story waiting to happen" he laughed as he pointed over towards the guy

"Then I'd have to worry about losing my mind because that'll be the only way that will happen" Eleanor laughed

"You could do it, I'm sure if Rivers was orchestrating you being free of common sense then it'd be very possible" Dan teased

"Oh well it's Rivers, I'm sure I'd accomplish my streaking attempts on my list of things to do" Eleanor said as Dan groaned

"Aww, too much, too much information" Dan said as he tried to rid himself of that thought

"What?" Eleanor laughed as she looked on at him squirm in his seat while all she could do was laugh

* * *

Looking himself over in the mirror once more, Nate turned the facet on to splash some water in his face. Another moment passed as he just looked at himself in the mirror before he took the time to fix his hair as task work. Hearing the sound of the door closing from outside, Nate knew that Serena had finally made it over to what was suppose to be his own mini strategy meeting. Tripp had turned up the pressure on Nate to cover his basis in the rumor department, and while Nate felt pressure from all angles of his family, Nate knew that if he was going to be able to manage some bit of the pressure then he'd have to start with his own inner circle first to keep the lid on things. Coming out of the restroom, Nate walked out to see his friends all with their blackberries in hand as they busied themselves with their personal business that they had obtained on their path to growing in to adults. It was all so baffling to see that they were actually morphing in to responsible adults in the daytime.

"Make this quick Archibald, I have a new crop of dancers coming in for auditions" Chuck said as he tucked his phone away in his pocket

"Yes because watching girls prance around is always satisfying. Does Jenny know of this?" Blair asked as she looked over at Chuck

"She'll be there for your information. I can ease your mind by saying that I'm still a happily married man that is looking forward to much physical contact with his returning spouse" Chuck replied

"I think I just threw up in my mouth" Serena said as she squinted in disgust at the thought of Jenny and Chuck having sex.

"But I'm also a busy one" he stated as he looked over at Nate

"I do have to agree. Love the group gathering but I do have errands" Blair said

"Relax, I'll make it quick" Nate laughed "What about you Serena, do you have anywhere you need to be?" he asked

"I just have to finish moving my stuff in to Jay's place" Serena replied

"Moving? What happened to you staying at the Plaza?" Blair asked

"You've been a way for a minute" Chuck laughed to himself "S, leaked a rant on Lilly and from her changing addresses, that only means that Lilly cut the funds" he said

"Thanks Chuck for telling my story" Serena replied sarcastically "It's not as bad as it seems, I knew things with my mom were too good to be true" she sighed

"Yes, but she's never gone as far as to cutting you off" Blair reasoned

"Jay thought it'd be a good idea to beat her to the punch of cutting me off financially since she's basically been telling the media about my troubled habits. I just want this whole mess to end, so I just took the final punch away from her" Serena sighed "Jay and I have been practically living together, he even got us a place in the suburbs" she said

"In the suburbs, what's next? A minivan?" Blair questioned

"I hate to put a halt on this update fest, but I can quickly divulge my info then you two can continue on with this conversation" Nate said trying to get the girls attention

"Sorry Nate" Serena said "What's the big news that you needed to talk about?" she asked

"It's not really news, it's more along the lines of toning the news and preparing you for the news" Nate said "Some of the media outlets are getting bit aggressive with a certain story that may target me" he reluctantly revealed

"And by some media outlet, you ultimately are talking about Tyler?" Blair concluded as Nate gave her a silent confirmation "A journalist in the family is always a bad idea. Sometimes I swear this is my punishment from the big man up above, sending a personalized TMZ in the form of a brother, that's God's customized punishment for the sins I've committed" she sighed "What'd he do? And what do you need done?" she asked as she got blackberry ready to summon her minions for a divide and conquer mission

"There's nothing you can do. I just wanted you guys to be prepared that way if you guys are asked then you wouldn't be caught off guard" Nate said

"What exactly are they saying?" Serena asked "Not trying to sound conceded, but what story can topple that of my family drama?" she asked

"These prostitution allegations, which are all made up fodder to sensationalize things" Nate said

"Do you think Damien might be linked to this?" Chuck immediately asked

"Sounds like something that would be linked to him. Classless and off base, that's Damien to a tee" Blair replied

"I haven't encountered Damien but I'm sure he's behind this. I just know that when I do run in to him that I'll have to be prepared to bargain" Nate said as Serena looked on at him skeptically

"Are you sure that's wise? I mean Damien still holds some of our skeletons and luckily his own secrets that we know have managed to keep him quiet, but antagonizing might not be in your best interest" Serena said

"What does he have on us? Georgina was the only psychotic nut job that tried and failed with her bit of information. If anything, Damien would only give himself away by linking anything to us" Blair replied "I personally do not fear the spineless wrath of Damien Daalgard" she said

"Yes, but we can't just assume we're untouchable" Serena reasoned

"Do you know of any sins that we've committed other than the biggest because I would like to know what I should show penance for?" Chuck asked as he looked over at her while Serena couldn't help but eye Nate

"No, I just…I just don't need another situation on my hands. Any precaution is good precaution I guess" Serena said

"We'll have nothing to worry about. As long as we all have an understanding to not believe any of these rumors that will or can come out. Trust me when I tell you guys that you know everything there is to know about me and my family" Nate said

"I trust you Archibald" Chuck sighed "I also trust that this will be the conclusion of this pow wow?" he then asked

"Yes" Nate concluded for him

"We know the rules of media, oddly enough" Blair told him "I'll take your word" she said

"What about you?" Nate asked as he looked over at Serena

"I trust you" Serena said with a bit of guilt as the little voice inside of her knew that Nate had his own bit of secrets that he wasn't completely divulging to the rest of the group. "I just hope it doesn't get too bad for you" she sighed

* * *

Pulling the covers up on the resting Eleanor, Dan walked over to close the curtains before he grabbed the tray. They had spent most of the early morning looking out the window and discussing his plans, but mostly it was just time being spent together. Making sure to be quiet as he walked out, Dan slowly closed the door behind him as he made his way down the hallway. Washing the dishes off, Dan set the dishes aside in the tray before he washed his hands off on the wash cloth before making his way out of the kitchen. Like it was destined for them to meet up in the same spot that they had began, Blair walked off the elevator unaware of Dan's presence. Coming to a stand still in the middle of the foyer, Blair was unsure if she should hug him or just show minimal excitement until the official change had been shown that he had made on his trip.

"You're back" Blair stated breaking the silence as they looked on at each nervously

"Yeah, I just got in this morning" Dan replied "I've been keeping your mom company" he said

"Tyler hasn't been by?" Blair immediately asked

"Not that I'm aware of, but I'm supposed to meet up with him later" Dan told her "So I guess he'll swing by" he said

"Right, because he's probably too busy bashing my friends with as many words as he can think of" Blair muttered to herself as Dan looked at her with a bit of confusion

"What'd you say?" Dan asked

"Nothing, I was just muttering clear despite" Blair replied as a silence lingered between them once more as they both were unsure of what to say to each other with their nerves getting the best of them "How was Hudson?" she asked

"It was good. I haven't been there in a while but it's still pretty much the same" Dan said

"Did you stay at your mom's place?….I mean if David wasn't there or anything" Blair quickly tried to correct

"Carter got us a room close to the house" Dan told her

"Oh, so Carter went with you?" Blair asked "You two are starting to become friends again?" she asked

"Something along those lines. It's a slow process but we're sort of getting back to what we used to be" Dan said "It's been smooth sailing thus far, he says we're in a bromance" he laughed as Blair couldn't help but notice that his laughter was a clear sign of him not being as bitter as he once was

"Only he'd few your relationship as some epic bromance" Blair added as they both laughed softly "But the other things, how was that?" she asked

"That's actually something I wanted to talk to you about…tonight maybe?" Dan asked "I mean that's if you're not working. I just didn't want to tell you over a phone and…" he began to say

"That's fine" Blair interrupted "I mean you will be around, right?" she asked

"Yeah" Dan quickly replied "I just have to meet up with…well you know" he began to say

"Okay well, I just have to do some quick work then we could…we could just meet back up for dinner or something" Blair told him

"Sounds good, sound like a date…I mean a meeting, a meeting where we talk about what happened" Dan said before they both quickly froze up at the mention of date

"Yes, a meeting" Blair agreed with the correction before Dan walked over towards the elevator

"Well, I'll see you tonight then" Dan smiled nervously as Blair smiled nervously back at him before he boarded the elevator. Standing and watching the elevator doors, Blair stood in confusion as to what just happened. Thinking to herself, Blair quickly shook her head from the thoughts that she was having before she turned around to see Dorota standing by the stairwell

"What?" Blair asked as she could see that Dorota was sporting a peculiar look

"Dinner with Daniel tonight" Dorota said

"Yes, one in which you will make something other than lamb. That was a bit dry, but who's complaining" Blair said quickly deflecting the attention off of her before she realized the only true way was to just head upstairs to avoid Dorota's looks all together.

* * *

As the final dancer finished up her performance, Jenny clapped her hands in relief that this was the final dancer for the evening. Though she had been away for three weeks, Jenny wanted nothing more than to jump Chuck's bones rather than watch countless girls wink and smile at him to gain a position at the club. Writing down his notes, Chuck showed his notes to Carter while Carter slid his notes to Chuck. With the club being ran by just the two of them, Carter and Chuck found that they had depend heavily on their communication when it came to decision making because the small amount of income that Victrola was bringing in was just enough for them to have a sustainable living expense. Sighing as she knew that the other portion of decision making was about to begin, Jenny kicked her feet up on the chair beside her as she got comfortable.

"I like the second" Chuck stated

"She had spunk" Carter agreed

"What type of spunk do you guys look for?" Jenny asked "I mean are we talking personality or are we talking spunk in the friendly areas?" she asked as she directed her attention towards her husband

"I think it's spunk in the personality but it doesn't hurt to have spunk in other areas" Chuck replied with a bit of smile as all Jenny could do was shake her head

"This is like your sexual fantasy working here" Jenny said

"I think you've experienced my sexual fantasies" Chuck replied as they looked on at each other with lust filled eyes

"Okay, can you two focus on the task at hand instead banging each other" Carter replied as he began to snap at them both

"I like the second" Chuck stated once more as he continued to look at Jenny

"I agree" Jenny quickly replied as she put her feet down off of the chair

"You can't agree…you don't even work here" Carter replied as Chuck began to gather his things

"I think you should show me those renovations that need to be done in the office" Chuck said

"Oh c'mon! that's the oldest trick in the book. That's just code for sex in the office, which needs to stop by the way because it's supposed to be a working environment" Carter replied as Chuck and Jenny continued to their quick movements as they headed towards the office "Can we not do it on the desk then" he called out before the door slammed behind Chuck as they entered the office. Pulling his phone out, Carter felt it'd be a good time to inform Vanessa that he'd be late meeting her tonight. Just as he began to finish up the message, Carter found that he was joined by Nikki. Looking up from his phone, Carter nearly jumped at the sight of Nikki. "You scared the crap out of me!" he said nearly out of breath

"Sorry, I was in the neighborhood" Nikki replied

"Yes well, text me or call before you just pop up" Carter told him

"So I gave thought to what you asked me the last we spoke" Nikki said before Carter looked around to make sure that they were alone

"And what have you come up with?" Carter asked as he leaned forward towards Nikki.

* * *

Bringing in the last of her box, Sean dropped the box down on the floor as he hunched over trying to catch his breath. Making her way out of the kitchen with two bottles of water, Serena couldn't help but laugh at how dramatic Sean was being. Observing the house, Serena still couldn't believe that Jason had moved them both in to a mansion. Though they were moving faster than she anticipated, Serena could've never expected her mother to exile from the family the way she had. Serena thought that her mother would need time to get over the whole story but when Eric called about his conversation that he had with their mother, it became clear to Serena that this was going to be a long drawn out fight. Serena didn't want to fight her mother but she felt as if her mother was taking this way out of proportion, and it wasn't exactly far from the truth. Taking his water and heading over towards the sitting area of the foyer, Sean quickly began to down his bottle of water.

"I thought you did cardio for a living?" Serena asked

"Yes, as in running up and down a court, not carrying big ass boxes worth of make up. How much make up do you need?!" Sean questioned

"I get a lot of the samples sent over by department stores for appearances" Serena said "Then the rest is what I buy" she told him

"You don't need all of that, you just need the make up you wear on a day to day basis" Sean told her

"Said from a typical guy" Serena laughed just as Sean's phone began to vibrate. Pulling his phone out, Sean began to groan as he saw that it was Rochelle texting him yet again "What's wrong?" she asked

"It's Rochelle, she wants to have dinner tonight" Sean told her

"What's wrong with that?" Serena asked

"Nothing, it's just she wants to spend so much time together. She wants me to pay for everything and I'm just going to be honest, I think sometimes I should be treated to dinner and movie. I mean I don't think it's asking much for her to pick up a check here and there" Sean said before Serena hit him on the arm "What was that for?! Ouch!" he declared

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. A girl should never have to pay on a date" Serena stated

"Says who? If you initiate the date then you should pay" Sean said

"So, you're turned off by her because she wants to spend time with you and get to know you?" Serena asked "That's the basis?" she asked

"Not entirely…I just don't feel it with her. The sex is great, I mean it's really, really, really…" Sean began to say

"I get the point. You don't want a relationship based on sex, I get it" Serena concluded "You should just be honest with her, tell her your not into her" she told him

"And mess with the sex, I think not. I've just rotation status on the team, this may be the only ride or die chick that I'll have" Sean said

"Ride or die? Where do you come up with this stuff?" Serena asked with a bit of laughter "But in all seriousness, you've got to be honest with her or else you'll just be wasting your time" she told him

"Yeah, yeah" Sean said as he got up to look around the house "C'mon, let's finish this moving stuff, I got practice to get to" he told her as he headed outside towards the moving truck while Serena lingered behind, hoping that he wouldn't recognize that she wasn't following behind him. Turning to realize that Serena wasn't behind him, Sean quickly looked over at the door to see her laughing at him before he took off chasing behind her into the house. Laughing hysterically, Serena tried to keep her lead on him as she ran up the stairs with Sean trailing a little bit behind.

* * *

Putting the dishes away in the sink, Dan sprayed the dishes with a bit of water as he made a mental note to clean them before he left. Dorota was so thrilled that Dan and Blair were having an actual sit down meal together that she was more than enthused to cook for them. It was to their surprise that she tried to put a candle in the middle of the table as if it were suppose to spark some romantic evening between. For the most, Dan and Blair felt tension between them as they were still unsure of how to act around each other since so much had happened. Heading in to the living room area, Dan could see Blair checking her e-mails, which was surprising since she had picked up more responsibilities at work. With a bottle of water in hand, Dan took a seat beside her as she quickly tucked her phone away in her pocket as they sat in a moment of silence for a while.

"How was your day at work?" Dan asked breaking the silence between them

"It was good" Blair replied as Dan waited for more details as to why it was so good but never got them

"We can talk about your job, I mean I can handle that" Dan told her

"I know that, but I feel like me talking about my job is only taking away from what I really want to know" Blair said as she reluctantly told him

"Which would be my trip" Dan concluded "I forget how eager you can be at times" he laughed

"Did you see David?" Blair asked as she brought her feet up to her chest on the sofa

"Yes, it was awkward but then it was…it wasn't really about seeing him, it was just about getting used to the life my mother had" Dan said

"Seeing the place that she called home" Blair began to agree

"I admit that I wasn't exactly liking everything because it's just still baffling to know that she could pick up and start over like that. Like we didn't matter, like it was normal or something" Dan said as he rested his head back on the pillow on the arm of the chair

"Some people start up a new life to avoid the past, it's a coping mechanism for not accepting what they've done wrong" Blair said

"Well she did that. I was angry, Jen was more accepting of it but I couldn't accept it" Dan told her "It wasn't until I went to the studio that I started to calm down. I only had one chance to really take it all in, it was like I forced myself to get to know her through the things she left behind and no matter how hard I didn't want to face it, I had to admit that those people knew her better than I ever could. Went to her studio…I must've sat there for hours. I mean it was all so confusing but it was so abstract that I felt like she was speaking to me through her work, like she did this for me to see" he began to say

"Were you able to decipher the work?" Blair asked becoming intrigued with what he was saying to her. Pulling out his phone, Dan pulled up the pictures that he had taken of the studio so that he could show Blair. Looking on at the photos, Blair couldn't help but notice the one image that stayed the same in each picture "What does the boy represent?" she asked as she looked up from the pictures

"Me" Dan replied "In each picture, she's guiding the boy through something" he told her before he scrolled the picture back to the beginning "In this picture, the boy has two paths. The boy takes the darkest path unlike the rest…" he began to say

"Take the path of least resistance" Blair concluded "Each picture is about this boy…then the final, the woman must be her" she said as she looked on at the picture

"I think she's saying that even though she can't be there, she's hoping the boy will find his way. That he's with her, even though he'll never know it…the space in between are the things between them. Things that can't be moved such as trees, boulders, rivers…her heart is his and one day he'll find that on his path" Dan narrated the picture for her

"Wow, I didn't think Alison could be this deep. I mean I would've never deciphered that through this" Blair said

"At first glance it all looks trivial, but once I understood the first picture…it all just became something that I had to do" Dan said as he sat up on the sofa excitedly "I know it's stupid but it was like I was actually talking with her, sharing something with her where we both had to be patient and understand each other" he said

"Through her work" Blair smiled peacefully "I'm happy for you. You seem at peace with things now" she said

"I am. I know it may not seem like it with it being just three weeks, but it was hell…it was like picking at the same scab wound that had yet to heal. Once I just started to deal with it, face the fact that I had a messed up relationship with my mom, I began to realize that I was letting that effect what my future could've been or still could be. It was like I was mourning the loss of what we could've been" Dan told her "I just wish that she could've told me this stuff…" he began to say

"Would you have listened?" Blair asked knowing Dan well enough to know the answer

"Probably not, but now all I'm left with is more questions of if we could've had a relationship" Dan said

"Can I tell you what I think?" Blair asked as she leaned back on the arm of the sofa

"Of course" Dan told her

"I think your mom accepted that you two would never have a relationship. I think she painted these pictures because in her mind she was telling you the things she always wanted to say to you as a mother, as a woman that experienced life. In her own way Humphrey, she chose you" Blair said

"How so?" Dan asked

"She could've painted a million things and hung it up as her prized possession in that studio that I'm sure others have seen…but she chose to paint the relationship of a mother and son. A relationship that could've been, a relationship that the boy knew without a doubt that his mother loved him regardless of being there or not, it was just something he knew or at least she wanted him to know" Blair said

"There's where we differ, how was I supposed to know?" Dan asked

"Because you never would've went if you didn't have some bit of clue that she did love you. You went to get your confirmation if she ever did, if the small notion that you had of your relationship with her was just you dreaming up what you wanted from her, but deep down you knew. You don't let people have the effect she had on you if you didn't love them or you didn't think they loved you back" Blair said "Which is why I'm insisting you take the necessary actions" she said as she leaned over to grab Dan's phone as she began to mess with it

"What are you doing?" Dan asked as he looked over at her

"Helping you see that whenever you think she didn't…" Blair began to say before she finished her task "You can see that she did and always will" she said holding up his phone to see that she put his mother's artwork as his wallpaper "She may not have been perfect, but she was still yours" she told him as he grabbed the phone to look on at his new photo. Watching Dan look at the picture as if he was looking at it for the first time all over again, Blair couldn't help smile at him as she got her confirmation to know that he was finally starting to grow past the hurt he had pint up in him since he was a kid.

"It was probably bound for me to be in the artistic field. Dad's a musician. Mom is an artist" Dan said

"Striving artists, but who knows…you might actually be a name brand" Blair teased as Dan couldn't help but laugh

* * *

The night between Dan and Blair hadn't been one of romantic tension like they both suspected it would end up being, but once they got into the groove of what they originally began as, they both found comfort with each other. Opening up more about his trip, Dan found that the more he talked about it, the more he began to realize that his anger towards not being good enough to his mother had become his motto to everyone else, that if he wasn't good enough then it was just another person he'd block out to make way for the slim positives he'd be able to obtain based on him alone. Though it sounded like a good plan to him, Dan realized that until he just accepted what his relationship was with his mother than he couldn't be the person he wanted to be with pint up anger. The next day, Blair couldn't manage to stop smiling at the huge advancement that Dan had made in his life. Able to squeeze out time with Serena, Blair knew that she had to talk to Serena with all that was going on. Sitting in their usual spots at the Plaza restaurant, Blair and Serena sipped on their drinks.

"This must be painful for you" Blair teased as Serena just sighed

"It should be. I've never had to pay for a meal here since I was a little. I swear I think my mother would take satisfaction in knowing that detail" Serena sighed

"Why did you think it'd be best to record a conversation of yourself talking about Lilly's wayward ways?" Blair questioned "I mean that part is confusing me in a whole" she said

"I don't know where it came from, the recording just popped up out of nowhere. I've listened to it as many times as I could bear but I can't connect when and who got this recording" Serena said

"Gossip Girl works in mysterious ways" Blair said as she sipped on her drink "What does Sean think about the whole ordeal or should it be Jason that I ask about?" she then asked

"It's not like that. Jason is happy, I mean he's more than thrilled to throw his cash in to something rather than hold on for hard times" Serena said

"What hard times is he facing?" Blair questioned

"Management not extending his contract" Serena laughed "I know it's trivial but he's been stressed about it" she said

"So basically the boyfriend is glad to have you to himself, Lilly is cutting you off, Sean is…what is Sean? Besides being a link to my in house traitor" Blair asked

"Sean is a friend. He looks out for me when Jason isn't there" Serena said

"Okay well, Jason must not be there a lot…why is he comfortable having another guy be with you?" Blair asked

"B, the questions, I feel like I'm being interrogated" Serena said

"I'm just trying to divulge in to your life because I currently don't want to be in mine" Blair sighed

"How is Eleanor?" Serena asked

"She's doing good, we won't know until the end of the month if they got most of the tumor or not. The chemo is taking a toll on her, she's been throwing up and….I just can't talk about it because if I talk about it then I'll want to cry and I can't cry because I'm currently personifying myself as Eleanor Waldorf 2.0 and that woman doesn't cry worth anything" Blair told her as she found herself getting emotional once she began to speak about her mother. Not wanting to push Blair in to talking about her mother's cancer, Serena thought it'd be best to move on to the next subject.

"And Dan? How did that go?" Serena asked

"It went good, it was great" Blair sighed as she hated to let a smile break on her face

"Oh, someone is smiling" Serena noticed

"S, it was like he was back to his old self again. I mean he had this breakthrough and we talked about it, we even came to conclusions on things that we usually wouldn't have discussed at length about. For so long, I knew Alison was the heart of Humphrey's issues but I was just so happy to see that he didn't fight against her this time" Blair smiled excitedly "It has taken me three long years to get to this point and I feel like the walls of Jericho have finally tumbled" she added

"So does that change anything between you two?" Serena asked

"Romantically?" Blair asked

"Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about" Serena quickly replied

"I know" Blair said as she quickly hid her face

"What's wrong?" Serena asked

"Louis asked me out on a date tonight" Blair revealed as Serena gasped

"So you do like him!" Serena declared "The accent finally broke you down" she laughed

"He just asked and he was confident with it. At first, I was more than prepared to say no because I'm all focus on work then my mom, but Louis…he's just been there and he's so interesting. He has such knowledge of things to where I could listen to him talk for days. I'm stuck in a predicament" Blair sighed

"The ex-boyfriend and the possible crush that could be a boyfriend…" Serena posed as comparison

"Who has an accent" Blair added

"Definitely factoring in the accent" Serena replied

"Then I've gone through the rough patch with Dan, we've been through so much and the feelings are always going to be there. When I saw him, I was unsure of whether to hug him or kiss him because that was just my natural thought. I just don't want his path to only consist of me being the goal that he has to obtain" Blair said

"So basically you still love the ex-boyfriend but you're afraid of taking another chance on the relationship because you're scared it might break the all ready shaky foundation" Serena concluded as Blair just looked at her "I saw Dr. Phil, so helpful in areas of life" she quickly added

"So as you can see, woe is me" Blair sighed as her phone began to vibrate to let her know she hand a text. Reading the text, Serena couldn't help but notice a suspicious car that sat across the street. It had been everywhere she had went today, but it was only until she noticed that someone was sitting in the car looking back at her that it began to feel awkward. "And things just got weird" she said

"Huh?" Serena asked as she got torn out of her suspicious looks

"Dan just text and said he'd be by tonight" Blair sighed

* * *

Tapping his foot nervously as he sat in the office, Dan couldn't help but look around nervously. The hustle and bustle of the newsroom, Dan couldn't help but feel like it would be much to take in if he did in fact get a position here. Tyler had helped him out by setting up an interview with his editor for a possible position on at the magazine. Dan wasn't quite sure if journalism was his area, but at this point, Dan just wanted a position to enhance his writing skills. Finishing up his phone calls, Tyler made his way in to the office as he was glad to see that he had enough time to be there with Dan for when Mr. Hannigan came back from his meeting. Noticing how nervous Dan was, Tyler simply motioned for Dan to relax before Mr. Hannigan came in. Immediately rising to his feet, Mr. Hannigan became unaware of Dan's presence as he couldn't help but groan in frustration over the meeting he had just came from.

"Adams, what are you doing here?" Mr. Hannigan asked as he glanced over at Tyler

"You have a visitor" Tyler said as he motioned for Mr. Hannigan to look over at Dan

"The Humphrey boy" Mr. Hannigan smiled

"It's nice to see you again sir" Dan said as he extended his hand towards Mr. Hannigan to shake

"I don't do hand shakes. Sit down" Mr. Hannigan told him as Dan took a seat "Remind me again?" he asked as he looked over at Tyler

"Dan is looking for a job. I know we always need new fact researchers, so I figured he could start there and then work his way up with social pieces" Tyler said

"I'm willing to do whatever" Dan quickly chimed in "I just really need to get in a steady pace of writing" he said as a silence came between them

"Dan wrote the book. Insider, he's the author of the book" Tyler then stated

"Somehow the Carter kid didn't strike me as the writing type" Mr. Hannigan said as he took a moment to think

"Yes, with time being pressing, Carter did a noble act for a friend" Tyler said "But with Dan you could have the real deal" he said

"Real deal, huh" Mr. Hannigan said as he began to lean back in his chair as the wheels began to churn in his head

"That look, it looks good" Tyler smiled as he looked over at Dan

"We could make this part of a new division of the magazine, the publishing aspect. This could be bigger, this could be more scandalous…" Mr. Hannigan said

"What the social pieces?" Tyler asked

"No, the sequel. Dan here, he can be contracted to write the sequel to Insider. The newspaper can feature pieces from the anticipated follow up and then host a book release party once it's completed. Sales would go up, it would make us a publishing company to be reckoned with" Mr. Hannigan smiled "I'm loving this idea" he smiled

"Sir, I can't" Dan replied

"What do you mean?" Mr. Hannigan asked

"I mean that I won't be writing a follow up to Insider. The book was a diary, it was never mean to be published. Now I'm flattered that so many took to it, but I don't want to get my start by putting down others" Dan said

"He's got excellent potential" Tyler added

"I can't hire potential. I have to hire what's relevant and necessary" Mr. Hannigan said "The Insider is relevant" he then said

"Imagine the potential if he could write a book that didn't have to pertain to the lives of the rich and elite" Tyler said "I for one think they take up too much ink on our editorials as is" he said

"With the Archibald story breaking, you better hope there's enough ink" Mr. Hannigan replied

"That's not the point" Tyler sighed

"I could write some thing else. I'll be more than happy to show you my work, it's rough draft ideas but it's all I have" Dan said

"If we do another book, it has to be something that will be a success right from the start" Mr. Hannigan said

"He can give that to you, I'm sure if he can write something such as Insider then he's capable of doing more" Tyler said

"I can't, not at the time" Mr. Hannigan replied

"Then I thank you" Dan said as he got up from his chair "Thank you for meeting with me" he said as he began to make his way out of the office

"Nice" Tyler replied sarcastically to Mr. Hannigan before he rushed out of the office to catch up with Dan. "Humphrey. Humphrey, wait" he called out as he caught up with Dan

"Thanks for the meeting, you really don't have to explain it further" Dan told him as he hit the button for the elevator

"I don't want you to think that this was all a setup for to write a sequel" Tyler said

"I don't think that. I guess Insider is something I will have to let go of, but I'm more than willing to pay my dues" Dan said "Insider was just a diary, but I'm not looking to write another diary" he said

"Which is understandable, but somewhere along the line you'll have to do the mediocre jobs to get to the dream job" Tyler said

"And I'll do so" Dan replied "Again, thanks for this. You didn't have to do this, and I appreciate this" he thanked Tyler once more

"Look, maybe this place wasn't the right fit for you but I'd like to help you find that job" Tyler told him as Dan looked at Tyler skeptically

"Why are you so keen on helping me?" Dan asked

"Call it me helping you out because I played a part in taking your first opportunity away. I believe you can write, and I like to know that the author believes he can as well, makes for a better story" Tyler said as the elevator doors open up "Just write and I'll help you with the rest" he said before he wrote down a name and phone number on a piece of paper to hand to Dan "Until then, to flex the writing muscle. Call this number, it mostly covers sports pieces. The guy is open and he'll give you a chance to write articles, it may not be what you want but it'll help you get started" he said as Dan looked on at the number.

* * *

Making his way towards the bar, Nate plopped down on his seat as he quickly relayed his choice of drink to the bartender. Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, Nate looked on to see that Tripp had called about six times and text just as many times. Nate could only imagine what type of panic attack his cousin was having that there were rumors circling around involving Nate. Consulting with the campaign manager, Nate had done his best to follow the advice of keeping a lid on his drama within his inner circle, endorsing the family in every means possible, and playing the role. It'd only be a few more weeks until voting, but Nate began to feel like voting was so far away that there was no bit of hope left that he'd make it to voting day. Sliding his drink in front of him, Nate began to sip on his choice beverage before he found that he was joined by the very cause to his days worth of headaches.

"I'll have vodka on the rocks" Damien said as he got adjusted on his seat

"What are you doing here Damien?" Nate sighed before he took a sip

"I need a stiff one" Damien smirked "And since you're not on payroll anymore, I figure I could get a drink" he teased before Nate quickly grabbed him by the collar

"This isn't funny! This isn't some joke" Nate said through gritted teeth as he squeezed on tight to collar

"Nothing about this is funny" Damien replied before he broke away from Nate's embrace of him as they began to realize that they had a slight audience. Adjusting his clothes, Damien walked towards Nate "You did this. I'm only telling the truth…" he began to say

"A truth with distorted facts. I did this as a means to stop Georgina" Nate replied

"Yes, the part of the plan where you see a bunch of guys in search of getting your hands on black market bodies to pass off as Katie's" Damien said with boredom in his tone "Do you ever question why you got stuck with that task? I mean that's a big responsibility for the likes of you. Though I hardly doubt your friends knew how far you went" he said

"My friends know the truth" Nate replied "We all did things in order to ensure Katie's justice" he said

"Oh, that's a pile of bullshit and you know it. No one asked you to sleep with him, no one wanted you to carry on a relationship…" he said

"I did not carry on in any type of manner. I did what was necessary for my friends and you know it. I used you!" Nate replied

"Well you did a horrible job at it. You may have thought you were using me, but I freed you from this cardboard cut out you are as a human" Damien laughed as he looked on at Nate to see that he was grasping for straws "Blair was usually the mastermind behind all things manipulative, but you…you were always the guy that went along with whatever he was told to do. You always followed the lead with no intention of ever leading" he said

"Do you have a point?!" Nate asked angrily

"The point is that you finally did something that had nothing to do with expectations or wasn't written in the things to do in order to be relevant to your father. It may not have been something that you expected, but you kept coming back because you liked it, because deep down it's what you wanted" Damien told him as a silence came between them

"You're only ruining innocent people's lives" Nate reasoned "Do you feel good about that? What exactly do you hope to accomplish in that?" he asked

"Seeing you sweat, seeing you for one second break that fake ass façade of being perfect…that's why I did this" Damien said "You admit the truth, you take away the ammo but until then, I'll always control this game" he told him

"You're sloppy. You'll slip up and then people will see you as the weasel that you truly are" Nate told him as he walked towards him

"That's fine, but I'd still like to see the look on people's faces when this story drops and guessing by how you've made your rounds today to cover your ass, it won't be too long" Damien smirked "Your world is crumbling and all I feel for you in this moment is pity because in this scenario maybe it's you that needs to see the truth" he said before he put his money down on the counter then walked away as all Nate could do was watch Damien leave with the upper hand in not only the present but to his future. Turning back towards the bar, Nate finished up his drink before he quickly headed towards the bathroom. Checking to see that he was alone, Nate felt his heart beat at a thousand miles per hour as with each stall that he checked, he felt it was just one more thing that put him closer towards his overwhelming thoughts. Deep in to his panic attack, Nate began to breath heavily as he pulled his cell phone out to dial the familiar number.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't keep doing this. I can't protect you and expect to protect my family" Nate said with panic written all over his tone as he spoke. Tears pressing him, aching to be released, Nate loosened up his tie as even that began to feel like it was choking him "I can't do this" he cried as looked up to see his reflection in the mirror. Hearing the silence on the phone as only whimpers of tears could be heard, Nate walked towards his reflection in the mirror. What was he? How could he have morphed into the biggest of sins? Why had he become something he had hated? He questioned himself as he continued to look at himself in the very mirror before he in a fit of rage punched the mirror causing it to crack. Pulling his hand back, Nate looked on at the blood dripping from his hand before he looked back at the cracked mirror.

* * *

Sitting at her desk, Blair sighed as she looked over at the clock to see that it was only a matter of time that she was supposed to meet with Louis or hang out with Dan. Blair knew that it was typical or at least what Dan used to do to frequent around the penthouse, but she couldn't help but question herself in the process of him trying to be normal again. They had been through so much but ultimately they decided to break up, that's all she kept telling herself was that they broke up for a reason but the reasons were becoming unclear to her. Looking over at the picture frame that she had on her desk of Dan and her at graduation, Blair couldn't help but stare at the picture for a moment. Coming out of her office, Bex walked over towards where Blair was sitting without Blair even realizing at first. Noticing that her daze had gone towards the picture frame, Bex couldn't help but laugh to herself which caused Blair to tear out of her reverie.

"Bex, hey. Sorry, I was just…" Blair began to scramble for an excuse

"Staring shamelessly at your ex-boyfriends picture" Bex replied "First rule in the break up process, you have to get rid of the pictures. They'll always haunt you because then you'll get in to the whole belief of he was like that once so he could be again notion" she said

"But he was" Blair replied "I mean he was, he was that guy for me once" Blair replied "I feel stupid for even saying that, especially at work" she said as she felt her cheeks flush with redness

"Oh, you've got it bad" Bex replied as she pulled up a seat beside Blair to giver her full undivided attention

"I know, I know. It just all went in to hyper mode with Louis asking me out on a date and then Dan coming back in to town" Blair babbled before realizing that she revealed the fact that Louis asked her out "And now I feel like a fool for admitting that Louis asked me out, and now you probably think less of me" she said trying to read Bex's expression

"Actually no. Louis has made his around the office" Bex replied

"And that makes me feel worse in a slutty type of way" Blair quickly replied

"No, no. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just meant that Louis has his admirers, but Louis seems to gravitate towards you more than anyone woman I've ever seen him with. If he asked you out it's because he's sincere with his feelings because he's never asked, it's always been something he's just gotten" Bex stated

"Okay now that made me feel somewhat better" Blair said as she breathed a sigh of relief "But it still makes it worse" she said

"Why?" Bex asked

"Because I feel guilt. I feel wrong for this, for feeling stuck" Blair said

"No, you feel wrong because you want to move on but you're afraid to be the first to go. It's classic and I've seen in numerous times in movies" Bex told her "Blair, it's okay to want to be with other guys because sooner or later, we all have to grow. Part of growing up is changing what we like, changing our opinions, and sometimes changing who we love" she said

"Then it was never love if you could change it so quickly" Blair replied as Bex leaned back in her chair

"Not necessarily. You can always love someone but grow out of that relationship. It's all just a part of growing up" Bex told her

"I still love him…but maybe I don't love him in that way anymore, maybe I love him because I still care about him as a person" Blair reasoned as she worked through her thoughts

"And there's nothing wrong with that" Bex said "You can't wait for a boy to become a man, it sounds cute and romantic but in the end it's not realistic or fair to you" she told her "Dan may very well be the one, but so could someone else that you have yet to meet or date in Louis's case. You'll never get to your future if you're so fixed on going back to your past" she said as Blair couldn't help but think about what Bex was saying to her.

* * *

The driver pulled in to the driveway as she looked on at her new home before Serena got out of the car. Thanking the driver, Serena turned to head towards the front door. Fumbling with her keys, Serena tried to remember which one was the one to get into the house. After a few tries, Serena made her way inside to see that the lights were on. Just as she made her way inside of the house, Serena could hear the sound of Jason's video game going off from the game room that he had set up. Heading in to the kitchen, Serena opened up the fridge to get a bottle of water before she heard Jason and Sean come out of the game room. Full of laughter and jokes, Sean and Jason headed in to the kitchen to grab pizza and some sodas as if they were stocking up for a long night.

"Hey babe" Jason said as he leaned in to kiss Serena on the cheek

"I can tell by the loud talking that it's a game night of sorts" Serena laughed

"Yes, most definitely" Jason replied as he hung his arm around her neck

"And I have to admit that I do plan to beat you all day and night" Sean replied "This will be my payback on having to literally move you in on top of my pre celebration" he smiled

"Celebration of what?" Serena asked

"Mike got injured today at practice, which means that Sean got bumped up into the starting spot" Jason said

"Oh, that's great" Serena smiled "So that means you're going to start tomorrow night then" she said

"Yeah, it'll only be a few minutes or so but the coach is giving me a shot" Sean told her as Serena smiled excitedly at him "I'm gonna go back in and change my team" he said before he made his way out of the kitchen while Jason continued to gather the food

"Sean's really excited about the starting spot" Jason laughed

"Yeah, I'm happy for him. I'm glad your in early, I wanted to talk to you about something" Serena said

"Like what?" Jason asked as he kept his attention on what was in the fridge

"I went out to lunch with Blair and…." Serena began to say

"Why were you hanging out with Blair?" Jason asked in disbelief

"Because we wanted to catch up, but that's besides the point. While I was at lunch, I noticed that there was this car following me. Everywhere I went, it was there" Serena told him "I know it sounds crazy, but I just couldn't help but notice it once I saw the guy" she said

"Oh, was it a silver car?" Jason asked

"Yes, it was a small car though" Serena said "Does it sound familiar?" she asked

"Yeah, it's familiar" Jason laughed as he closed the fridge "It's the guy I hired" he said

"Hired? Hired to what, follow me?" Serena questioned

"More of a protection of image. I hired the guy to make sure you stayed out of trouble" Jason said as Serena looked at him strangely

"How and why would you do that?!" Serena asked

"Because trust is something we have to work towards" Jason said

"So you don't trust me?….Jay, you have no reason not to trust me" Serena exclaimed

"Well seeing as you said you were just going out to run errands but forgot to mention the fact that you were meeting Blair, that gives me all the more reason to not trust you. You lied to me" Jason told her

"She's my best friends!?" Serena replied as Jason walked towards her

"And that's something that you should probably think of changing. You continue to hang out with questionable people, then I continue to have you followed…it's quite simple actually" Jason smiled

"I'm not doing anything behind your back" Serena said as Jason grabbed the food and began to head out

"Well now I'll have photos to know that what you're saying is sincere" Jason said before he left the kitchen while Serena stood in disbelief.

* * *

Making her way through the lobby, Blair continued her greetings to the night security staff as she made her way to the elevator. Letting out a yawn from the day she had, Blair looked on at her watch to see what time it was as she waited for the elevator. Boarding the elevator, Blair began to relieve herself of her shoes as she began to make mental notes of the things she needed to do before the night end. Getting off the elevator, Blair heard a barrage of laughter as she saw Tyler and Dan in the living room of the penthouse. It hadn't been long but somehow the Waldorf penthouse became the meeting place to everyone and anyone, and she suspected, Dan was starting to pick up his time spent over at the house. Putting her coat away, Dan couldn't help but notice her as she walked over towards the two boys. Gathering their magazines that they had sprawled out along with articles that Dan wrote as a kid, Tyler prepared himself for his eventual meeting with his sister.

"How was your day?" Tyler asked as he took a sip from his cup

"Don't patronize me" Blair replied "You know the level of communication between us has been reduced over your involvement in the story" she said

"And I'm aware. It's my job" Tyler sighed

"Well, I hate your job" Blair replied "But for our mother's sake, I won't conspire to take away your credibility as a writer" she said

"Which wouldn't be possible by the way, but the mature route is surprising for us" Tyler smiled in surprise

"Don't get used to it, tomorrow is always another day and I'm sure you'll screw up in those days" Blair said as Tyler got up from his seat

"Speaking of our mother, I will be going up to see her" Tyler said as he tiredly climbed the staircase. Walking over towards Dan in the living room, Blair took a seat beside him.

"You've joined the enemy camp" Blair sighed

"I suppose. He's helped me get a gig at Uptown Press" Dan said

"That's great" Blair smiled "When do you start?" she asked

"I'm actually starting on my piece, Children's Evolving Fashion, it was a story that was left behind by a previous writer but they really waned to use the article so I took it jus to show I could write anything" Dan told her

"And are you're plan to find an agent?" Blair asked

"It's still going. I'm going to work and write on the side for my second book" Dan said "But I got a j.o.b. to help pay the bills" he said as he laid back on the arm of the chair as a silence came between them.

"So tonight…I have plans to go out. I'm going out with Louis" Blair reluctantly said to Dan as she looked at him to gage his reaction to the news. Hiding his face in the pillow, Dan groaned in frustration as Blair sat on pins and needles to hear his reaction. "I'm not doing this to hurt you or prove you right, it's just something that…" she began to babble before Dan quickly sat up on the sofa

"Blair. Blair. Blair" Dan said trying to cut her off from babbling as he put his hand on top of hers "It's okay" he told her as Blair felt like she could breath

"Really?" Blair asked in near disbelief

"Yes" Dan smiled "Look, I don't expect you to wait for me and I'm very much aware that I've put you through something. So I guess on this long list of things I should say to thank you for standing by me, I want to say that it's okay" he told her

"This wasn't something that happened while we were together. I just want to see or dispel…." Blair began to say

"You don't need to explain anything" Dan laughed "I didn't do this to trick you back in love with me because I know that I've tested that love more than I should've" he said

"We both did" Blair quickly replied "No one is more to blame or less, we both played a part" she said

"And now we both need to play a part in doing all that we can to make sure the other is happy, with or without each other" Dan said as he rubbed her hand "I mean it, I just want you to be happy" he smiled. Feeling ten times better after her talk with him, Blair leaned in to hug him as he just rubbed her back for a moment. Pulling away slowly, Blair smiled at him before she rose to her feet.

"Thank you" Blair told him

"No, thank you" Dan said before she turned to head upstairs. Looking on at Blair as she climbed the staircase, Dan couldn't help but feel a bit of his heart breaking as he watched her go. He never intended to indirectly let her go, but Dan began to realize that maybe a part of him still wanted them to be together.

* * *

**If I had the momentI'd capture that moment**

**You would be right here next to me**

**If I had the secret,**

**The secret to your love**

**I would place the treasure beneath my heart**

**Lock it all up,**

**And throw away the key**

**I would never give it up**

**Cause I was just a fool,**

**A fool for you**

**When I loved you so childishly**

Sitting in front of her mirror at her make up station, Blair put the necklace around her neck as she prepared to get ready. Walking over towards the bed, Blair sat on the edge of the bed before she looked over to the side table to see the picture box. Unable to just ignore the pictures, Blair walked over towards the box and began to go through them. Dan wasn't big on pictures when they were dating, but the rare pictures that they had she always treasured. Since they broke up, Blair had gradually went from taking the pictures off her wall to putting them in to the infamous box. Though it didn't go far away from her space, Blair knew that it was time to let go of the couple they were in the past.

**And I want it all back**

**I want it all, I want it all,I want it all back**

**I want it all back,I want it all, I want it all**

**Girl I want it all**

**You never miss a good thing 'til it's gone,I want it all, now I want it all (back)**

Looking at herself in the mirror, Serena couldn't help but stare a bit longer than normal. She could see herself but slowly but surely she saw herself fading before her very eyes. Turning the lights off in the bathroom, Serena made her way in to the bedroom to get in on her side of the bed. Getting comfortable in her spot, Serena rested her head on the pillow as the sounds of Jason playing video games down stairs played loudly in her head. Rolling over on her back, Serena looked up at the ceiling just thinking to herself. Tempted to call Blair, Serena was so used to having Blair be her sounding board, but for the first time Serena feared that Blair was no longer an option that she could have in her world. Blair had her life, which was something she had worked hard to obtain and on her own merit, while Serena couldn't help but feel like the only person that made her feel special in the ways that fed into her darkest insecurities was the same person that had made her confused on everything she thought she'd never be a part of.

**If there is a green light**

**And it starts to turn yellow**

**Pedal to the floor,**

**Cause I know your heart is turning red**

**,If I had the minutes, I would turn 'em into hours**

**And make love to your mind not your body instead**

**I was just a fool, a fool for you**

**That didn't know what I had until I lost you**

"Yes, I definitely love the clean house look for you" Carter said as he came out of the kitchen with his hand in a bag of chips while Dan sat on the sofa with his lap top on his lap

"Thank you. I spent all day cleaning. I think I was becoming a mini hoarder" Dan said as he kept his focus on typing "How is thug life going for you?" he asked

"Great, I'm about to start The Departed phase of my thug life mentality" Carter said in regards to his current situation

"What does that mean?" Dan asked in confusion as Carter thought to tell him but didn't want to make things more complicated by getting Dan involved in what was all ready a messy situation

"Nothing" Carter said "How is the new you adjusting?" he asked

"I got a job, so that's progress to see that I didn't completely screw up my life" Dan told him

"Good, you can feed our make believe children we'll adopt from Africa, you know Brangelina status. I was about to take you for make believe child support on top of the bromance spousal support" Carter joked as Dan just shook his head "How about the Blair front?" Carter asked as Dan sighed "And from that, I can conclude that I was right" he said reading Dan's facial expressions.

"I thought it wouldn't automatically go back to us being together, that I'd be able to around her without wanting to be with her…but it's like I'm actually realizing that we actually did break up, that it's not as simple as returning to my old life" Dan said "Tonight she's on a date with another guy, and I have to say…I really fucked things up, there's no other way of saying it, I fucked up" he said as a silence came between them

"Well now we're on the same path, welcome to the path of redemption" Carter told his friend "If it's meant to be, you'll find your way back to each other" he said as Dan rested his head on the sofa cushion behind him as he folded his arms in contemplation.

**Every single moment**

**That you're not here**

**It's evident to me that everything just seems so clear**

_**[News Clip]**_

_**Reporter: In what is a new revelation to the campaign trail, photos have surfaced of the youngest Archibald, Nathaniel Archibald, with clients that were said to be on this political prostitution ring. It has been said by a source close to Archibald, that he carried on a relationship with a male client. As time goes on this breaking story, we'll have more details on the political scandal and the effects it will have on not just Tripp Archibald's campaign but the Archibald family in general.**_

_**[End of Clip]**_

Turning the television off, Nate tossed the remote over towards the window. Getting a seedy motel room on the outskirts of New York, Nate knew that once the media broadcasted the story that he'd have to be out of dodge from the press. Reaching over to grab his bottle of whiskey, Nate took a quick swig as he just clenched his eyes shut. Shaking his head as he tried so hard not to let the tears come out, Nate reached over for the bottle of pills before he began to open the top. Shaking the pills up before pouring them in to his hand, Nate sobbed as there was no holding back the pain he was feeling. Every ounce of him felt like he was hurting as there was no longer anything to shield him from what he was not quite sure about. The media was now privy to his secrets and were now speculating as to who he was while he struggled to figure that out on a daily basis. Throwing the pills aimlessly, Nate broke down in to tears as he hid his face in the palm of his hands.

**And I want it all back**

**I want it all, I want it all, I want it all back**

**I want it all back, I want it all, I want it all**

**Girl I want it all**

**You never miss a good thing 'til it's gone,**

**I want it all, now I want it all.**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter**

**Chris Brown- All Back**

**Author's Note: Thank you for reading and I look forward to your feedback.**

**Originally I wanted to have Dan, Jenny, and Carter go to Hudson and write about them up there. Though along with story, I started to feel that I wanted Dan to just move forward instead of rehashing everything. I wanted to sum up what he learned in Hudson with his conversation with Blair because she's the one person that knew how he struggled with his relationship, so I wanted her ot be a part of that turning of a new leaf for Dan.**

**Dan and Blair are now officially on a new path. There on a path where they're growing as individuals but they still have the connection that is Eleanor and that they truly care about each other as people and not just because they were boyfriend and girlfriend.**

**Yay! Nate's storyline is beginning, Jason is becoming more crazy, Carter is on his path to getting out of Dominic's reach, Chuck and Jenny's storyline is coming...I'm uber happy because now things are going to go on all cylinders.**


	17. Story of Us

**Author's Note: Thank you all for you reviews. Greatly appreciate them like I always do. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, I'm like half awake as I'm writing this author note so if anything sounds off please forgive me.**

**In regards to the dreaded promo that some have spoken of, I have and will not see that promo. I've given up GG all together. I stopped watching midway in season two and then I came back because of Dan and Blair. I admit to checking in on Tumblr from time to time but that's only because I love to read what others think. I don't plan on watching Season 6 either because let's face it the storytelling of GG is horrible, I find better story telling on a math test. I ultimately still feel as if Blair on the show is weak and pathetic because regardless of how some people spin it, if Chuck ever spoke to me the way he speaks or spoke ot Blair in that finale he would've got a swift "Fuck You". My mother is strong and independent, she's always taught me to carry myself with respect and have self respect. Stand for something because you'll fall for anything sort of deal. I'm not all feminist pride, but I just believe there is only one way to have good love in your life and I want the person I love to be a friend/lover because as much as the sex can be good, I also want someone to talk to and laugh with. So I don't want this to sound like I'm telling people not to watch what they want to watch, though I do think you'll be better served watching other shows, but ultimately it's up to you guys.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Sixteen- Story of Us**

* * *

_As of now, in the city of New York 8,244,910 people. You'd never think that as you'd walk the streets, but wandering the streets, the taxi's driving by, building with numerous employers, sightseers; they all encompass New York City. It's the facts that have become interesting to the life of a political family, it's the facts that can either make or break a campaign because all the people really want, right? They want facts. People want to know what's right and what's wrong, then they want some other mathematical reason to not have to think of why they choose what they choose. I like to believe that politicians come around every year like Christmas, promising you that you actually have a voice in your country, promising you that you matter, promising you things that in the end you have the right to have a say. "Everyone has a voice". That's my cousin, Tripp Archibald, slogan for his campaign. It's become a motto that my family has adopted, it's a motto that we've identified with for the sake of media. Well, my voice, it's one that you don't hear too often. It's okay, I'm the forgotten member of the Non Judgmental Breakfast Club. I'm the guy that everyone see's as perfect, Abercrombie and Fitch model, the boy that got in between the most followed friendship in the Upper Eastside, I'm the guy that's suppose to have it all. Well I can tell you that it's not as simple as you think. It's okay, soon you will hear my voice. Soon you will understand why my voice is the least heard out of all my friends. Soon you'll hear everything that there is to know about me because like Tripp says…."Everyone has a voice"._

_Sincerely,_

_Nathaniel Archibald 5/01/2009_

* * *

**[Four Days Earlier] [Day One]**

Looking on at the media circle that was swarming around the Archibald family but more specifically Nate, Blair could only turn the channel off in hopes of getting a break from viewing the madness. Blair knew that she wasn't being hounded but watching the forced silence that Nate had to endure as the allegations only grew against him, she hated to view it on television because then she felt like she was just another random person gawking over him trying to get a scoop. Coming out of the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn in hand, Jenny munched on the food before she took a seat next to Blair on the sofa. Looking over at the youngest Humphrey, Blair couldn't help but notice that she was just like Dan in the regards that they always had to stuff their face with something. Reaching over to check her cell phone once more, Blair saw that Serena wasn't returning her calls.

"I thought we were watching television?" Jenny asked

"We were until it turned into the bashing of the Archibald's" Blair sighed as she held on to her pillow on her side of the sofa

"Poor Nate. It's crazy how people just latch on to a rumor and just go the distance with it with all the supposed talks and secret sources" Jenny said just as Tyler made his way down the staircase

"Well, that's journalism for you!" Blair said loud enough for Tyler to hear that he had no choice to hear her "One journalist thinks he has facts and then ruins someone's life with it" she said as Tyler walked over

"And that's what's wrong with viewers, they believe anything just because it's a pretty face" Tyler said as he put his jacket on "Our mother is doing fine, thank you for asking" he then added

"I hope you're happy. You caused this, you've literally ruined the Archibald family life and reputation because of your accusations" Blair stated

"I don't write accusations, I'm not TMZ" Tyler said

"Then what exactly are you? You're attached to the very book that bashes my group of friends and family, though we won't go in to much detail on how you and who. You're part of the very story that is currently ripping Nate to shreds…what journalist should I view you as?" Blair asked

"The one that does his job" Tyler said "I don't like what's happening to the Archibald's but there's nothing I can do. You go in to the political field and you expect to get ripped to shreds by the masses" he told her

"Or you could actually go in to the political field to, I don't know, make a difference" Blair quickly replied "There's no way you can justify it but yet your trying to. Nothing you can say will take a way your part in this, and if our mother was a hundred percent, she wouldn't like what you've done…they're our friends, people we care about" she told him as Tyler knew it'd be pointless to argue with her "You're a Waldorf. You haven't been privy to being front page news, but as someone that has had her life in print her whole life, I can tell you that is intrusive in the most unbearable way. There is no time to process your own thoughts because so many people are saying what they think you think, saying who you are. You voice is taken before you even have the chance to speak out. You guys say you search for truth but you don't…you search for what sounds good to put on the front page because if you honestly did search for the truth than you would see that in the midst of all the chaos, a person dies in the spotlight, that voice gets taken away because then we just become the face to what the media has portrayed us as. That's what you are, but again…you don't even realize it. Make a mistake. Do something that you have no control over….let's see where the truth is for you" she told him as Jenny could feel the obvious tension between the two siblings.

"I'll be back later to check on her" Tyler said after a moment of silence came between them. Walking over towards the elevator, Tyler didn't have to wait long to board before he left.

"That was…interesting and tense" Jenny commented

"It was the truth" Blair sighed "He needs to hear it sometimes since her thinks he knows everything" she said "But let's talk about something else, all this talk about Tyler and Nate is depressing me. How are things with you?" she asked

"Good. Marriage is good, I mean it's incredible…" Jenny said as she began to smile from ear to ear

"You're having more sex than you can imagine, aren't you" Blair laughed as she concluded Jenny's subtext

"Absolutely" Jenny laughed "I don't know, it's like we have this constant attraction to each other" she said

"Maybe it's the honeymoon phase, they say it's the horniest phase of them all" Blair replied "You lost your virginity to your husband, which makes you at least honorable in comparison to my first time, now you two are all about banging like bunnies" she laughed

"I wouldn't say…" Jenny began to say

"You're banging like bunnies" Blair interrupted as Jenny just lowered her head in shame "It's okay. You can be a lady outside of the bedroom, I don't judge the bedroom side of you" she said trying to comfort Jenny.

* * *

Coming out of the showers after the game, Sean was surprised to see that he had reporters waiting by his locker waiting to talk to him. In the night's game, Sean had scored fifteen points along with a timely three point jumper that allowed his team to take the lead. Sean had only viewed his performance to minimal but with New York media, he knew that the attention was going to shift to wherever the next sensation. The whole time he spoke to the media, Sean sat in disbelief as it was becoming real to him that he was actually climbing his way up the ladder and that if he kept it up then he'd be able to be a certified star on the team. Once the reporters were done, they shuffled out of the locker room while Sean still sat mesmerized by it all as all Jason could do why he was doing his interviews before he finished up with his to walk over towards where Sean was.

"Good game out there Rook" Jason told him

"Thanks" Sean smiled

"I think coach has no choice now but to keep you at that spot" Jason smiled "You hit some big shots out there, made me look better than what I played. I dish and you shoot like an assassin behind the arc" he said

"You can trust in me" Sean laughed

"Good, I'm hoping to rely on that" Jason told him "I have a charity foundation to go tonight and Serena hasn't been feeling good these past couple of days. I was hoping you could hang out with her, she's not quite used to the house yet" he said

"I suppose, I mean that does mean I get full access to the game room, right?" Sean asked

"Mi casa es su casa" Jason told him

"I just have to call Rochelle and cancel my plans with her" Sean said as he turned to get dressed "Serena and you have been dating for some time, which public event are you guys going to choose to make it official?" he asked

"Make what official?" Jason asked

"That you two are together. I mean it's speculation but no one knows unless they're close that you two are together. Half the time, I think people think I'm with her because of how often we're seen together" Sean reasoned "Which doesn't do good in my dating life" he then added

"Well I just want to make sure she can handle what it's like to be with me. I mean it's fine for her now because it's pure speculation, but if everyone knew…the media would be hounding her and I don't think I want to put her in that spotlight yet" Jason said

"Always the considerate type" Sean teased as Jason hit him playfully on the arm

"Thank you again for doing me the favor" Jason said as he walked over towards his locker.

* * *

Watching the media be held at bay by the hotel security, Nate swirled what was left of his drink before he finally just downed it. All night long, Nate had to give his rehearsed answers as Tripp didn't want him straying away from the script he had written for him. The Captain wouldn't admit it but his frustrations in Nate were becoming more apparent with his cold silence and his short temperament with Nate had changed in a blink of an eye with all that was coming out. Nate refuted the allegations left and right to his parents and to his cousin but all they could see was another hit to the campaign that they didn't need. Breaking away from his conversation with numerous executive big wigs, Tripp made his way over to join Nate at the bar. Making his order with the bartender, Nate just bided his time before Tripp would eventually turn this into a ra ra speech. Getting his drink, Tripp looked on and smiled at the media that was looking over at them as he still wanted to maintain the appearance of a strong front.

"The Captain is looking for you" Tripp said

"He knows where to find me, you know since I've been secluded to only area in fear of screwing something up" Nate replied as he took a sip of his drink

"Don't be a smartass Nate" Tripp replied

"You call it being a smartass, I call it telling truth" Nate laughed "Enjoy this, you have numerous voters within your midst and you choose to use your time to scold me" he said

"Believe it or not, I'm trying to look out for you" Tripp said

"How so?" Nate asked

"By not letting you be your own worst enemy" Tripp told him "This is your future, this family is about to be on cusp of bigger and better things. Now I know that you didn't get to live out your college fantasies of going to USC, which is not exactly a dream come true…" he began to say

"You did note that it was my fantasy, right?" Nate asked

"Point being, you have to maintain image. You're a part of a brand now, a brand that will represent New York" Tripp said

"That'd be you, not me. I can abide by staying out of the limelight, albeit, this was all unwanted and salacious fodder that someone cooked up…" Nate began to say

"Don't give me big words, when you've got pictures out that say otherwise…" Tripp began to say

"Blurred pictures that aren't clear" Nate stated

"Pictures that are linked to you!" Tripp snapped at him "Now I don't care about what your defense is to all of this, but you better starting thinking offense because I'm not going to let you ruin this family. Get yourself under control and maybe, just maybe you might not embarrass this family more than you all ready" he said before he knocked back the rest of his drink then slammed to the counter as he walked away. Noticing the tension in Nate's face, Chuck walked over towards the bar where Nate was to join his friend

"Unsettling conversation with the cousin?" Chuck asked "Vodka on the rocks" he told the bartender

"Nothing that I'm not used to" Nate sighed

"The media is getting worse…like vultures" Chuck said as he observed the reporters

"Tell me about it" Nate said "They keep circling and circling while we just try to keep it from falling apart" he said

"Who?" Chuck asked as he looked at Nate

"…my family" Nate replied

"You know there saying that you were linked to another political family, some political trades of a secret type thing. Hornesby to be exact" Chuck said as Nate looked over at Chuck

"What are you trying to say?" Nate asked as Chuck remained silent in Nate's response "Chuck, what are you trying to say?" he asked a bit forcefully

"I'm saying that in a mixture of allegations and lies, some bit of truth is in the mess" Chuck replied "We both know that was the summer you worked with Damien. We all had our part in putting Georgina away, but it was still quite impressive that you were able to pull of your end of the bargain. I mean Damien must've put your through hoops to prove that you wouldn't turn on him" he said

"Damien was trying to save his own hide. I told you guys what I had to do in order to obtain the body, I wasn't a part of some political prostitution" Nate told him

"The body was clean…we got no problems with the body Nate. No questions, no suspicions, nothing odd came around the body. It was like you had clout behind this" Chuck told him

"The reason why was because it was a blackmarket. No one is going to advertise and get it legalized that they just happen to sale bodies that were stolen from grave yards" Nate replied through gritted teeth as he addressed his friend "What the hell is this?! You don't trust me now? You think I'm lying?" he asked

"I trust you, I just wonder why exactly you're the target when Tripp or your grandfather isn't" Chuck stated

"I don't know, I'll be sure to ask the media why I'm the chosen bitch when it comes to this" Nate replied sarcastically before he walked away with glaring eyes at his friend.

* * *

Submitting his article before he reached deadline, Dan smiled proudly as his first official article was going to run in the newspaper. Dan didn't want to get ahead of himself, but he couldn't help but feel like the creative juices in him were flowing again. Ideas for his book were coming out of nowhere but Dan wasn't able to narrow it down to just one singular idea. On numerous occasions, Dan would take a notebook and just jot down an idea that just sparked in to his head, he'd write it down on the nearest piece of paper close to him to where he was collecting a colorful collection of napkins and post it notes that were stapled together. Getting off the elevator as he had done numerous times throughout the week, Dan had stopped by the loft to pick up food that his dad had made for Eleanor to eat before he headed home. Looking on at his phone, Dan hadn't even realized that Blair and Louis were standing in the foyer in a close embrace. Awkwardly moving away from Louis, Dan looked up to take part in the awkwardness before he tucked his phone away in his pocket.

"I'm sorry" Dan said nervously "I just stopped by to bring your mom some food that my dad made" he said holding up the bag

"Oh, okay. Well she's upstairs probably trying to sneak in work" Blair told him

"All of which, I said Blair should hide" Louis laughed

"No, hiding her work will only lead to a Hulk like looking monster" Dan quickly replied as the possible conversation between them had been shot down by his comment "But that was good, and I've made…" he began to say

"Humphrey take the food upstairs" Blair quickly interrupted knowing that Dan was about to go into a babbling session. Obliging her wish and secretly thanking her for getting him out of the awkwardness, Dan made his way upstairs towards Eleanor's room.

"Does he always come over?" Louis asked with a bit of a smile on his face

"He's not just an ex-boyfriend, he's family" Blair replied "It's like I have two brothers" she said

"But one you used to be in love with" Louis stated

"Yes, look Dan has unlimited access. I tried revoking it in high school but he's very endearing" Blair laughed as she thought back to the handful of times that she tried to scheme Dan out of the house

"I've never heard of an ex being like family even after" Louis questioned as Blair looked at him skeptically

"Are you jealous?" Blair asked with a bit of a laugh

"I'll never tell" Louis smiled as he leaned in to kiss her cheek before he slowly backed away towards the elevator "I'll see you at work" he said before he boarded the elevator. Turning to head towards the living room, Blair reached over to grab her magazine as Dan slowly made his way down the staircase. Trying to conceal the sound of the bag, Dan crept down the staircase before he in one final gust of motion took off running towards the elevator. Seeing Dan trying to make a break for the elevator, Blair threw her magazine down and took off to cut in front of him at the elevator.

"C'mon Waldorf!" Dan declared

"Is it the pasta?" Blair asked not paying any attention to Dan's declaration

"No" Dan quickly replied as Blair looked at him skeptically

"You're lying" Blair stated before Dan tried to hold on to the bag as long as he could

"I have no dinner" Dan told her

"You have a father that can make you the very pasta you know I like at any point in time" Blair said as she tried to tug on the bag

"Yes but then that would mean I would have to travel back up town to get said pasta then come all the way…" Dan began to say

"You do know that you're not leaving without me getting some of this pasta, right?" Blair asked "I mean it is literally unimaginable that I would let you leave with my pasta as you head back to the townhouse to eat it all up. So I'll tell you this, why don't we split the pasta and no one will get hurt in the process" she reasoned

"I don't trust you in sharing any thing food related" Dan replied

"Well, maybe that's something you just have to work on…trusting me" Blair smiled as Dan slowly gave up his grip on the bag to where Blair was able to pull it away "How would you feel if I just took off with this?" she asked as they headed towards the kitchen

"I'd track you down like a dog" Dan laughed as he immediately grabbed at the forks while Blair heated up the food in the microwave

"This is microwavable, right?" Blair asked as she looked back at him

"Yes, he buys nothing but microwavable" Dan replied as he just smirked back at her before he took his seat on the bar stool just as Blair waited for the food to stop cooking. Once it was done, Blair joined him at the counter. "I'm sorry for just showing up like that. I just thought I'd be able to drop off food then go" he told her

"Don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal" Blair said as she separated the food off in the bowl before Dan handed her the fork she'd need. Each taking a fork full of pasta, they sat and ate their food.

"Your mom looks good, I mean besides the obvious side effects of the chemo…she has good spirits" Dan told her

"Yeah, she's handling it the best way she can. I know she's missing work though" Blair sighed as a silence came between them

"How are you doing in all of this?" Dan asked

"Does it really matter? She's the one that has to go to all of these appointments and then have doctors poking her all day" Blair said

"It matters" Dan told her "How the family handles it is very important" he said

"What am I supposed to say Humphrey?…I hate seeing her go through depressed modes. I wish that she could go back to work so that she would stop wearing the same pajamas" Blair sighed

"That could be a start" Dan laughed "But it's not like you don't have any thing worth feeling in all of this. You're a part of this too" he told her

"I feel like this new zen Dan is going to be annoying" Blair said

"Zen, not so much, but a new perspective. I just want you to know that you can come to me if you should feel it's a dire situation" Dan told her as he continued to eat his portion of the food before his phone began to go off to let him know that he got a text message.

"What would constitute a dire situation? And why wouldn't I be able to solve this?" Blair asked "You know in this hypothetical word that I go to you in this dire situation?" she asked as she was genuine in her request

"It's just me extending the olive branch of lean on me" Dan reasoned

"I just killed your manly moment, didn't I?" Blair asked as she laughed while Dan just shook his head.

"Yeah, something like that" Dan told her as he felt the vibration of his cell phone. Pulling the phone out, Dan looked on to see the message "Aww, man" he sighed

"What is it?" Blair asked as she continued to eat

"I got put on the advice column. The guy that's doing it has gone on vacation" Dan told her as he continued to look on at his phone

"Does anyone at your job actually complete their assigned tasks?" Blair asked

* * *

Undoing his tie, Nate threw his tie down on the bed as he just tried to compose himself for the moment. Dealing with Tripp's constant need for him to be perfect, Nate felt as if he was going to explode as all he could do was grin and bare it. The Captain leant no support to him with all the hounding the reporters were doing once they left, all Nate could do was stay introverted in his thoughts with no one to really talk to. The only person that Nate was able to talk to or could understand him, Nate did his best to rid himself of in fear of adding more fuel to the fire that was speculation. Once again staring at himself in the mirror, Nate couldn't help back to the very few that could break through the barriers he had spent years putting up.

**_[Flashback]_**

**_Sitting at his desk, Katie looked on at the letter that left her in full anticipation over. All day long, Nate had avoided to answer the question she had posed to him for the duration of the week but Katie was able to finally force him into revealing what he planned to do. Katie knew that with Nate, she had to be a good listener with him but then she knew at times she'd have to force him. Looking up from the paper, Katie couldn't necessarily say that she felt assured for him as she still thought in his own way he was avoiding any possibility of digging deeper within himself to admit what she suspected in him but Katie knew that she had to respect his decision regardless. Tossing the soccer ball in his hand, Nate gaged his friends reaction as he knew now was the time of any to convince her of all people that he was fine._**

**_"So this is what you want? No questions asked…Dartmouth is the only key to happiness for you" Katie asked her friend as she leaned back in the chair looking on at Nate with all his trophies_**

**_"To The Captain it will be" Nate replied "I've only got one option" he told her_**

**_"Not necessarily. You've got options, you've always got options. I just think you're afraid to take them" Katie said_**

**_"Be exiled from my family, from The Captain? No, I choose to avoid that letdown" Nate laughed_**

**_"We don't have to be our parents" Katie blurted out before Nate just turned to look at her for a second "I like to believe that. You know since I'm the priests daughter and all….I don't have to be my parents" she said_**

**_"But in the end we always end like them because what else are we suppose to be" Nate questioned_**

**_"Us" Katie replied "I thought the whole purpose of life was to find you, find who you really are? I mean what's the point in living if you're being someone you're not" she said getting lost in her beliefs of what life should be that was typically frowned upon by her parents and her grandfather. A smile slowly came to her face, but Nate could see tears behind the smile "I'm determined to be happy. I don't want to look back at my life when I meet my Lord, and say 'I wish I could've been happy'….I want to be happy right now and not later" she smiled weakly as Nate choked back tears as she spoke to an inner demon inside of him_**

**"_It's easier for you" Nate replied_**

**"_How? My grandfather is constantly hounding me to carry on the image of the church. He's constantly making sure I follow the guidelines to a so called blessed life…everything is so suffocating" Katie said as she saw Nate go in to deep thought "You of all people know this…you understand this" she said as Nate looked over at her. Taking his hand, Katie smiled at him to give him the warmth that he needed _**

**"_What am I supposed to do? I say USC, The Captain thinks I'm throwing my future away. I say I don't want to play any sports, The Captain says it builds character…but he has no idea how hard it is to be this person. To be the son he wants me to be" Nate told her "I can't disappoint him" he said softly_**

**"_And what about yourself? That's who you'll disappoint in the end" Katie said as Nate tried to look away but Katie took his face in her hands "I love you. You're my best friend, but you're lying to yourself…you're lying to everyone" she said as Nate tried to pull away but Katie wouldn't allow her to "I want to hear you say it, say what you told me because this isn't me going along with it just being a drunken thought. Say it Nate" she told him_**

**"_Stop" Nate said _**

**"_Not until you say it, admit it…just do something that is honest for once" Katie pressed _**

**"_I've been honest" Nate replied becoming irritated_**

**"_No, you haven't and you can fool everyone else but I know you. I know you better than anyone Nate Archibald" Katie said as a silence came between them "Fine, do I need to say it? Because I will" she asked_**

**"_It wouldn't be true" Nate said as he shook his head trying to stop the words from being let out, to kill the voice inside of him that ached to break free._**

**"_Nate you're…" Katie began to say_**

**"_Don't say it!" Nate yelled as his cheeks flushed red _**

**"_You're gay" Katie stated as the truth was finally out between them while all Nate could do was look on at Katie in disbelief that she actually stated what they had danced around saying for the longest "You can deny it, you can be everything that The Captain wants you to be, you can go to Dartmouth like he wants, you can do everything under the sun that will make you think that if you keep moving at record pace that you won't have to stop and accept the one thing you keep running from…but at the end of the day, you have to realize that you're gay" she told him as Nate tried to keep his barrier up but found the tears flooding his walls until it finally fell_**

**"_What's wrong with me?" Nate cried as he tried to fend off Katie's touch to comfort him "I've done everything. I'm in love with and want girl…" he said_**

**"_But you desire a touch of a man" Katie concluded as Nate continued to cry with his walls falling to the wayside "Nothing is wrong with you. You can't control what you feel, and there is no wrong or right when it comes to feeling something that comes from your heart" she said_**

**_[End of Flashback]_**

Shaking his head free of his thoughts of his last conversation with Katie, Nate found that his phone was ringing. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Nate saw that on his caller identification that it was Asher calling. Going back and forth in his mind on what he should do, Nate found that the more he thought, the more he tried to think of the consequences that it would have on his family. Growing confused by the minute as to what he should do or what was expected of him, Nate threw his phone at the wall as he just watched it shatter in to pieces.

**_[Flashback]_**

**_The sun peaked through the shoddy motel curtains as they lay naked on the bed. It was still a new feeling for him but Nate was realizing that more and more he felt complete, he felt at peace where no worries managed to creep in. It was the first time that he didn't feel the need to run to the next activity in his day, this was a moment that he wanted to last for an eternity because he knew the summer was passing by quick enough for him to get whiplash. Turning over on his side, Asher looked over at Nate with the biggest of smiles on his face. Noticing his smile, Nate hesitantly looked over at him. Caressing the side of his face, Asher moved in close to kiss him on the lips as they let their lips linger for a bit before Asher slowly pulled back._**

**"_What are you thinking?" Asher asked _**

**"_I'm thinking that I hate this motel" Nate said as they both laughed_**

**"_Okay, it's not exactly the five star hotel that we're accustomed to but it doesn't contain the snotty onlookers" Asher said as he sat up in the bed_**

**"_The very onlookers that are families" Nate replied as he rested his hand on top of his_**

**"_I wonder what The Captain would say about us?" Asher laughed as he thought to himself _**

**"_Why would you say that?!" Nate asked as he began to freak out_**

**"_I was joking" Asher reasoned as Nate got up from the bed to put on his boxers _**

**"_No, you weren't. Why would you joke about this…" Nate began to say_**

**"_This?" Asher questioned_**

**"_Yes, this…this whatever this is" Nate replied _**

**"_Whatever this is, is you having sex with a guy. Whatever this is, is me paying to see you through Damien Daalgard of all people. Whatever this is, is you continuing to deny that what this is surpasses what you thought it was supposed to be" Asher told him_**

**"_And what's that?" Nate asked_**

**"_If I have to spell it out then you're more naïve than I perceived you to be Archibald" Asher said as he just gave Nate a look that seemed to melt away every part of Nate that wanted to freak out and run_**

**"_I'm sorry" Nate said after a few moments before a cocky smile flashed across Asher's face "You shouldn't be so cocky" he then told him_**

**"_That's all I can be and have" Asher said as he lifted the sheet up to look on at his lower member before Nate just laughed. "Sooner or later, I want the five star hotel with all the snotty onlookers so we can finally say shove it" he said folding his arm "But only when you're ready. I hate the situation of how this is and how it began, but I'm not sorry for you and you shouldn't be either" he told him_**

**"_No one will understand this" Nate replied softly before Asher moved towards him_**

**"_It's not their job to, as long as we do then that's all that matters" Asher told him as Nate looked in his eyes. Leaning in, Nate kissed him on the lips before he broke the kiss to caress his face._**

**_[End of Flashback]_**

* * *

Reading over the letters for the advice column, Dan couldn't help but lean back in his chair as he tried his best to figure out how to even answer the question. With his feet kicked up on his desk, Dan thought to himself on what would be the polite way to address the problem while he just hoped that he could bs his way through this column. Feeling the vibration of his cell phone against his leg, Dan pulled it out to set on top of the desk while he contemplated on answering. Glancing at the caller identification, Dan sighed as he knew that eventually he'd have to answer. Looking around to make sure that he was alone, Dan reached over to answer the phone.

"Yes, Carter" Dan sighed

"I'm not liking the tone in voice. You sounded like I was annoying you or something" Carter said

"I'm at work" Dan replied

"Oh yeah, I forgot you got a life again. I was used to you being stationary in your boxers as you watch Real Housewife marathons" Carter replied

"What do you want?" Dan asked as he continued to read the letter

"I just wanted to see if you were up for a night at Victrola. We're hosting a peep show for a limited time and we're making tonight an exclusive for V.I.P. members, and since your peeps have been taken away, I thought you'd deserve a well paid striptease" Carter told him

"Isn't that what Victrola is all about? Burlesque type shows?" Dan asked

"Yes, burlesque mixed with a nightclub vibe. This peep show is done by none other than Giavani Circuit" Carter smiled happily

"Giavani Circuit?" Dan asked

"They're Italy's hottest group of tits and ass" Carter said "So are you going to make me explain further or are you going to come?" he asked

"I choose to stay a gentlemen" Dan told him

"You have singles, don't you?" Carter asked as he couldn't help but laugh

"I still have some singles leftover from my previous stripper incident…but that's besides the point. I need to focus on this letter" Dan told him

"Peep show is an upgrade for you" Carter said "Just tell the person that life will go on, and eat cheesecake or some sort of fattening dessert" he said

"I can't exactly say that, I need to give advice" Dan replied

"Said the guy that literally came to me throughout his whole high school career on advice" Carter said "What could be different about this bit of put together melodramatic words?" he asked

"Dear Uptown, I've been leading a life that I can no longer keep a contain on. My heart is overjoyed, but I'm unable to tell anyone of this said joy because of the implications it could have. My heart, the one I've grown to obsess over has pulled away slowly but surely and I can't help but worry. I fear his voice is slowly fading and that I may here it no longer. I don't usually fear the future, but I fear that my heart is at worry every minute of the day…." Dan read

"Okay that sounds like someone worried about someone else" Carter said

"I got that, but what exactly do I say?" Dan asked

"Just say talk to your obsession or whatever the person call the other person. Tell them to drop the worrying and just confront the problem" Carter said

"Honesty…the key to everything" Dan sighed

"It really is, it could save many relationships" Carter said "So ladies and gentlemen, the lesson of the day is…" he began to say

"Confront the problem" Carter and Dan said in unisons.

* * *

Hearing the sounds of knocking at the door, Serena woke from her sleep only to see that she was in the pitch dark. Thinking that it was all just her imagination, Serena sat up in the bed for a moment before once again she heard the sound of knocking coming from downstairs. Getting out of the bed, Serena lazily made her way downstairs as she fumbled around to turn on the lights as she made her way towards the front door. Each time she extended her arm, Serena couldn't help but notice the bruises that were on her arm. It had been from an argument that she had with Jason, but then again she knew that she was a bit clumsy around the house as she was still trying to figure her way around the house. Making sure to pull the sleeves down on her long sleeved shirt, Serena peaked out the door to see that it was Sean outside her door.

"Let me guess, Jason told you to come by" Serena sighed as she opened up the door

"I come bearing video games and beer" Sean said as he held up the very items he spoke of to her before she let out a weak smile as she opened the door up wide enough for him to walk through. "Why is it so dark in here?" he asked

"I was laying down. I was trying to take a nap but ended up going in to a full slumber" Serena said as she closed the door behind him

"Sleeping? At this time?" Sean asked "It's barely ten" he said as he made his way in to the living room area to see that boxes were still unpacked "And clearly you have yet to complete moving in" he said

"I haven't had time" Serena yawned

"Why are you yawning? We're supposed to be video gaming it up tonight" Sean replied

"I'm tired" Serena told him

"And I get that, but you're not going to sleep because you're too young to just sleep the night away. You promised to do things I want to do" Sean said

"Yeah, when I'm more alert and awake. Not tired and in desperate need of sleep" Serena replied

"You come with the excuses and I'll come with the rebuttal, either way…you're going to play" Sean told her

"It's horrible to watch a grown man beg. Don't you have a girlfriend you should be having sex with?" Serena asked

"That is true because that is about all there is in the said relationship, I would necessarily call her my girlfriend though" Sean said

"Then what would you call her, the girl you're sleeping with on a regular basis?" Serena asked

"Okay, we're not turning this into a session about me. This is going to be a session where we play….guitar hero" Sean said as he revealed the choice game as Serena couldn't help but soften her deathly glare she was sending his way "Yeah, I see it. I'm breaking through that hardened exterior" he smiled "Now, put on a bra and meet me in the gaming area" he told her as he made his way inside of the game room. Standing in utter confusion as to what just happened, Serena looked on at her attire.

"I liked him better when he thought we weren't friends" Serena said to herself as she climbed the staircase back up to her room.

* * *

_**It's hard to accept that you're really alone. **__**Get the point that no matter how hard you try to be what people want you to be, **__**you kill a bit of yourself inside. **_

Wanting to hide the fact that she was truly enjoying herself, Serena looked on at Sean laughing as he screw up his solo. She'd try to help him through it but his male pride wouldn't allow him to in the moment. Laughing hysterically as she looked on at the notes he missed, Sean finally waved his white flag as he turned to walk towards her with his guitar hanging from his body. Pushing her guitar to the side, Serena walked up behind Sean so that her arms were coming from behind his as they started the level over. Resting her hand on top of his as she helped him understand the concept of the game. She'd never tell him that she was having fun because she knew he wouldn't deserve such truths.

_**There have been numerous times where **__**I wanted to tell my friends about what was really going on, **__**but the overwhelming questions of what would they think? **__**Would they see me differently? **__**Would they accept this **__**Would I disgust them? **_

_**I just found myself thinking these things that just eventually made me chicken out of any possibility of**_

_**telling them. **_

Giving up on getting in contact with Sean, Tyler put his phone down on the bar as he began to sip on his beer. There was nothing he wanted more than to rid himself of what Blair told him, but he just didn't want that voice in, he didn't want to accept that maybe he was showing a bias to one spectrum. Looking on at the constant media coverage, Tyler listened on to the speculation that was being thrown around so carelessly without a base of fact behind it. What was supposed to be a story that was him doing his job and getting ahead in his career, Tyler couldn't help but feel the guilt of causing this mayhem. Images of Nate going about his regular day or at least trying to, Tyler finally saw himself looking at the person. The person that had to carry on with whatever truth he had to tell himself before the world, and it was then that he saw how invasive a word can be. How invasive a speculation or theory can go towards ruining a person's life. It was the power of words that he had yet to realize that he held.

_**I did everything I was supposed to do, I fell in love with girl that was marriage material, **__**I felt the attraction for a girl that made every bit of me think indecent thoughts of her…**__**but I never truly felt that connection. **_

_**I never felt that connection where I couldn't live without someone like love is supposed to be. **_

Laughing and talking over their prized desserts, Blair found that she was enjoying herself for the first time with Louis. It was different, but it was something she needed to do in order to give herself a shot at any future or for him to see his future. Getting up from his seat to go to the restroom, Louis smiled at Blair before he leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the lips. It had been surprising on his part but Blair let a smile slip to show that she enjoyed his spontaneity before he headed off. Looking out the mirror, Blair felt as if this was only coincident to see Dan and Carter walking the sidewalks together. Finding herself staring longer than she should, Blair just looked on as if there was nowhere else for her to look towards. Dan was lighter as the boys conversation appeared to be animated with breaks for laughter as they continued to walk out of the picture that was the window view she had of them. Dan was moving on, he was becoming better, she slowly began to realize. She was happy, but a piece of her felt more scared than ever and that she had yet to deal with, why would she be scared?

_**My friends have served to be my family in the toughest points in my life, but in this patch, this part of the road when I need my family, my real family, I begin to realize that I don't have them. I want to believe that my father with accept all versions of me, but I know that there is only one way to be in the Captains eyes and I know I will never be that. How do you look the very people that gave you life in the eyes, knowing that you only disappoint them in the end? No. I refuse to do that. I refuse to be the failure, so I'll just avoid failure all together. I'd kill the voice that wants to be free because regardless in the end, I'll die. Soon it will be over. The doubts will go and I'll be remembered as the son that he thinks I am. The friend that had no care in the world or problem that could measure up to theirs. I'll be a dream like figure that girls will want fantasize about. I'd rather they know me as that than know me for what I really am, it's easier to buy the lie because at least it give you little time to worry about the truth. I'm sorry that I was too much of a coward to admit my truths, but know that I never wanted to let anyone down, I never wanted to be that guy in anyone's eyes. Love me for who I was if you can't accept who I am.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Nate**_

Scribbling down the last of his letters, Nate gathered the two letters together in a hurry. Turning out the lights in his room, Nate grabbed his bag before he looked over to see that there was more stuff that he'd need to take care of. Not having time to go through the stacks of envelopes, Nate found that his eyes had landed on the few letters that Asher had written to him. Not willing to leave behind any trace of his other life, Nate bounded them together in a separate pile to where his earlier letters could go along with them easily. In a mad dash, Nate made his way out of the townhouse only to hear the sounds of laughter coming from down the sidewalk. Looking over slightly, Nate could see that it was Carter and Dan walking together as they were deep in conversation. Not wanting to deal with anyone, Nate quickly walked over towards the waiting taxi. Unaware of what he dropped, Nate eagerly told the taxi to take him to the motel he stayed in previously.

"Nate!" Dan called out as he hoped that Nate would hear him as the taxi was still within reach but found that it was moving further away. Bending over to pick up the bounded letters, Dan looked over at Carter as they both stood there wondering what to do.

"Don't look at me, I don't have his number" Carter replied

"Should we leave it at his house?" Dan asked

"Yes because leaving letters with the parents is always a good thing. Just give it to Blair and have her give it to him, I'm sure you'll make another pasta run over there" Carter teased as they continued to walk

"I wasn't trying to sneak to see her" Dan reasoned

"You never bring me pasta" Carter stated

"That's because you don't look great naked" Dan joked

"I beg to differ. You should ask Ness…" Carter began to say

"TMI, TMI!" Dan declared as he covered his ears.

* * *

**[Day Two]**

Finishing up with her meeting, Blair made her way out of the boardroom as she looked on at her blackberry to see if Dorota had sent her any updates on how Eleanor was doing after the doctors came over to visit. Going through her e-mails as she headed back to her desk, Blair looked over to see that Bex was waving her over to come join Louis and her in the office. Tucking her phone away, Blair walked over toward the office. Noticing a few of the girls whispering amongst themselves as if this was high school all over again. Not paying too much attention to it since it was the same girls that talked about everyone and anyone, Blair just headed inside the office as Louis made sure to close the door behind her. Taking a seat in the chair beside Louis, Bex smiled as she looked on at the two while Louis just rolled his eyes with a bit of a chuckle escaping.

"I won't gawk over the couple status I'm seeing before me because we have pressing matters to discuss" Bex said

"We're not a couple" Blair quickly corrected before she looked over at Louis "I mean we've gone out on a few dates, but I'm not or I don't want you to think we're some sort of couple" she tried to clarify

"It's okay. It's no one's business to know what we are" Louis said as he looked over at Bex

"Aw, shut up. You're just mad because I won on telling my little protégé the news" Bex smiled as Blair looked from Louis to Bex

"What news?" Blair asked

"You've been promoted to Junior Assistant" Bex said as Blair wore a look of surprise and happiness mixed in to one

"Oh, my God. This is so great" Blair replied happily

"You deserved it" Louis told her "I mean with all the work you've been putting in, it only made sense to give you the responsibilities and title of what you're all ready doing for the magazine" he said

"Well I greatly appreciate it" Blair smiled

"As I knew you would" Bex said "Now you're privy to all the big and brash decision that the Madame sends down to me to handle" she said

"Like the business aspect" Louis concluded "Oh, that's what you do" he teased

"Hardy har" Bex replied before she passed a portfolio over towards Blair to read "The magazine is looking to expand internationally, rival with W and possibly branch out as our own entity" she said

"But isn't The Madame in charge of both?" Blair asked

"Yes, and no. She had majority hold over the running production in the magazines" Bex said

"Internationally, you're only as big as you are in the states now in the magazines. The Madame is looking to buy in on failed companies to acquire them and build them up" Louis said

"So basically like renovating then selling for full value" Blair concluded

"You learn quickly" Bex smiled "In that portfolio we're looking into ten companies that we will buy up and we're projecting a year turn around. Now strengthening her resume will only allow the stock of Modern to go up, and expand internationally along with all the other working details that need to be ironed out" she said

"Who is Sledneb?" Blair asked

"It's more of an exclusive collection in New York, black card type of thing. They cater to more of the corporations when it comes to accessories" Louis told her

"Accessories would look good. I'm think cufflinks and all the above when it comes to the perfect business man or business woman attire" Bex said

"But we want you to look over the portfolio and then get back to us on it. There is a bit of a deadline to buy the stock, but we're sure you can get back to us soon" Louis said

"Could I share this with my mother's stock broker? I mean I know the little that has to do with my mother's company but even that is minimum" Blair said

"It would help, but making the moves known that we're interested in certain companies then other companies will get involved because The Madame is linked…" Bex began to say

"And then they'll drive the prices up along with attract attention from others" Blair concluded

"Look, this is a big responsibility but I trust you with this vital information because you've been around the business with Eleanor since you were a kid. So just go with your gut on this decision and I'm sure it'll be good" Bex smiled

"Thank you once again for this. I promise I won't let you down" Blair told them before her phone began to vibrate to let her know that she had a text message. Noticing Blair's eyes as she looked down at the message, Bex looked over at Louis quickly before looking back at Blair.

"Human resources will be contacting you on upgrading your pay and all the other perks that come along with Junior Assistant. Since you're my assistant then you will have the corner office, so I'd pack all your stuff up so you can transition better" Bex told her "But that's basically it" she smiled

"I'm going to get started on that…I have to step out for a few, is that okay?" Blair asked

"Perfectly fine, just make sure you bring me a coffee back" Bex replied as Blair made her way out of the office. Making sure that Blair was out of earshot, Bex turned her attention back towards Louis "Have you used it yet?" she asked

"No, I'm not going to use the stuff. It's ridiculous" Louis replied

"Don't get all proud on me now. You're charms or whatever you call your lame attempts aren't working, she doesn't even seem eager to jump your bones" Bex replied

"She just got out of a relationship" Louis replied "The guy still hangs around" he said

"All the more reason why you need to step it up" Bex replied "I'm not going to take a hit for you, not on this. You flirt with being on the edge with The Madame but luckily you have a bit of looks, but not on this…"she began to say

"Absinthe isn't something you play with sweetheart. Since I nor you have any clear experience with it, I'm not eager to just dash it down her throat" Louis said as Bex got up from her seat to walk towards Louis so that she was a mere inch away from him. Taking her hand over his suit, Bex began to play the outline of his dress jacket.

"That's sweet that you want to play the knight in all of this, it really is. You wanting to forget what we've both had to deal with in our lives but you fail to realize who our loyalty should belong to. Get it done Louis or else you'll truly know what life is without me" Bex said before she captured Louis's lips with his as she kissed him wildly. Biting down on his lip, Bex looked on at the eyes looking back at her before she slowly pulled away "Don't bite the hand that feeds" she told him before she sat back on her desk.

* * *

Handing the money towards the vendor for their cups of coffee, Blair blew on her coffee as Dan grabbed the condiments for his coffee. He had text to meet up with her on his lunch break, which was weird to hear after his protests he had going on for months. Seeing Dan, Blair couldn't help that he had the whole writer look going on with a pinstripe shirt on that showed off how toned his body truly was while he wore his black skinny tie that was now starting to grow on her, she had realized that the change wasn't just some phase and that it was real. Making his coffee to his liking, Blair saw that Dan got that goofy smile that he always got whenever he'd made something to his Dan perfection as she used to call it when they were dating. Once he was satisfied, Dan and Blair began to walk down the pathway of the Central Park.

"I see you managed to pull off the skinny tie look, good for you Humphrey" Blair smiled

"Oh, yeah" Dan said as he looked down at his tie to see what she was talking about

"What did you want to talk about?" Blair asked

"I wanted to talk to you about Nate" Dan told her quickly before Blair looked at them strangely

"You want to talk about Nate? What do you want to go through my past boyfriends? Because I assure you that you won't go far after Nate" Blair told him

"No, I want to talk about the accusations that are out now with the whole political prostitution ring" Dan said

"Did Tyler put you up to getting a quote from me or something?!" Blair asked as she stopped to face him

"What?" Dan asked

"You and Tyler, you've become all buddies and now he's sending you to do his dirty work" Blair replied

"Believe me, I'm asking on my own merit" Dan said "I just have begun to question if what is being said…I think it may be true" he said

"Of course because Tyler's managed to persuade you to think so" Blair laughed to herself in disbelief "You of all people I thought wouldn't buy into the media slander" she stated

"And I don't" Dan replied

"Then what is this?! What is this all about?" Blair asked "Nate isn't some prostitute who sleeps with politicians for political gain, if so then he needs to work on his nail beds because they're horrible" she told him

"How do you know?" Dan questioned

"Because he's my best friend Dan. I've known him since I was a little kid, we grew up together. Just because we're not together it doesn't mean we just stop being friends, case and point, us" Blair stated

"I get that, but using us as examples, sometimes you grow apart on the path to growing up. Sometimes words become harder to say to even those that you hold dear. Sometimes you hold them in fear of them not being understood. You hold back because you'd rather lie and be happy with that person rather than be truthful and ruin the good thing" Dan told her as Blair couldn't help but feel a tug at her heart that had the subtext of their relationship in it

"I know him, and I know that he would never be a part of such thing" Blair said

"Do you really think you would know if it were true?" Dan asked

"What?! Of course I would…" Blair began to say

"Why? And let's get beyond the fact that you've known each other for a long time" Dan told her

"Because we're best friends. The four of us, the Non Judgmental Breakfast Club" Blair stated

"And yet he's always the forgotten member. He's the one that get minimal attention in the mayhem that is Gossip Girl. I mean seriously, think about it. It's either Serena, Chuck, or you….it's never about him. So how can you say you'd know when you know little about what's going on with him?" Dan questioned

"If you're trying to be a jackass, then you're doing a great job" Blair told him

"I'm not trying to be, that's the last thing I want to be with you" Dan told her as he walked closer towards her. A silence lingered between them as they both got caught up in the tension of the moment "Last night, Carter and I were walking and we saw Nate rush out of his place. He had letters with him and he dropped a stack. I picked them up and I was going to give them back to you today so you could give to him, the paper slipped out and I read it. The letter is bad Blair…it sounds like some sort of suicide note and it's dated for two days from now. Then there's another letter written to Asher Hornesby" he said

"So you clearly invaded his privacy" Blair registered "Where are the letters?" she asked as she held her hand out

"Blair…" Dan began to say

"Give me the letters Humphrey" Blair said

"If this may true then…" Dan began to say

"It's not true Dan!" Blair yelled "People are trying to make up things and write things about him that aren't true. It's not true whatsoever because if it were then he'd tell me, he'd tell one of us because we're his best friends. Yes, he doesn't get the spotlight but Nate isn't one that wants or needs a lot of attention. I in fact envy that he doesn't have the eyes of the world on him but even that's been taken from him. How much longer does he have to suffer?! How much longer does he have to endure something that he never asked for?! something that his family thrust upon him with this whole senate race. I don't expect you to understand, but I hope that you would trust me and know that I know my friend" she told him

"In this part Blair, I don't think you do. I'm not trying to make you mad but you gotta look past what you think is there and see the truth. You don't write your goodbyes and then address on a date that hasn't even come yet" Dan told her

"I'm done with this conversation" Blair said as she pushed past Dan and began to walk away while all Dan could do was watch her leave.

* * *

Watching Jason soak up the attention of the reporters as they grilled him with questions about his contract discussions with the team, Serena couldn't help as she stood in the back round waiting for him. Looking at his frustrations, Serena knew that tonight would be yet another night where she would have to endure his dark side because the world had angered him. In her mind, Serena would think of ways to keep him happy, ways to keep him from getting so upset that he'd literally turn into a different person before her very eyes. Serena knew that Jason was a good person, it was just the dark side that she had to get used to. Maybe she could control the darkness, stop it all together with reminding him of their love? She thought to herself. Once he was finished with his interviews, Jason walked passed Serena as he made no attempt to talk to her or tell her to meet up with him, it was just nothing but coldness. The reporters walked off down the halls as Serena stood unaware of if she should go or stay. Hearing the sounds of the basketball hitting the backboard, Serena made her way towards the gym to see Sean running around the court. Dunking, shooting, dribbling like a kid on a playground; Sean just was just lost in the moment of it all like he truly enjoyed the game. Seeing her standing at the baseline, Sean rebounded the ball as he wore a smile from ear to ear at the sight of her.

"This moment is priceless. You on my home court" Sean told her

"This isn't exactly your home court" Serena replied

"It is, it will be" Sean smiled as backed away "That three point line, I'm an assassin from behind there. Mid range game, lethal as can be. Fade away…" he said before he shot the fade away shot for Serena to rebound

"Cocky isn't a good look on you…" Serena began to say as she laughed

"It is, it really is" Sean said as he walked up towards her "Dribble" he told her

"I don't know how to" Serena replied

"Really? You know how to dribble" Sean told her

"Said the guy that guy strum a fake guitar" Serena teased

"Somehow I knew that moment of gaming weakness was going to come back to haunt me" Sean laughed "C'mon, it's simple. Just think about the logic of what is up, must come down" he said as Serena let the ball drop from her hands to where it returned back to her "See, gravity" he told her as she smiled back in amazement

"Do you think I could score on you?" Serena asked as she continued to dribble

"Okay, now that's traveling. You can't drop the ball, pick it up, move, then drop again" Sean laughed

"Why are you staying behind? I'm sure Rochelle is waiting for you" Serena then asked

"Are we seriously going to talk about that?" Sean asked as he groaned

"Yes because you keep dodging the question" Serena said "Why are you avoiding her?" she asked

"Because" Sean said

"Because what?" Serena asked

"You" Sean told her as he walked towards her once more as they continued to play this dance

"What because you have to watch me and keep me company?" Serena asked

"No, I just…I have this annoying tendency to pick up on things. I worry, I'm a worrier. I worry about not being good enough. I worry about missing the last second shot that could win the game. I worry that I may be the next Denzel Washington and girls will just throw themselves shamelessly at me. I worry…I worry about you" Sean told her

"You don't have to" Serena replied after a moment of thought

"I do because this persistent blonde forced me into accepting that we're friends and I think any friend would worry they saw it necessary to" Sean said as they were standing face to face with the basketball in between them "So do I need to worry? Am I just imagining this super power as something my mom cursed me with?" he asked in a moment of truth

"I miss my mom. I hate that my relationship with her is now gone because if there's one person I wanted to show that I've changed, it's her" Serena admitted knowing she'd have to give him something "But you don't need to worry" she said as Sean read her for a few moments before a thought suddenly popped in to his mind.

"Come on. Let's get out of here" Sean said as he tossed the basketball to the side

"What about Jason?" Serena asked

"Do you think he'd really have a problem with you being with me?" Sean questioned her as Serena took a moment to think

"Okay, but I have to home early" Serena replied

"What are you twelve?" Sean questioned "I'll text Jay on the way if that makes you happy" he told her "So will you please…just take my hand" he said as he extended his hand towards her while Serena looked on at it skeptically wondering if she should.

* * *

**I know your inside, you're feeling so hollow**

**And it's a hard pill for you to swallow**

**But if I fall for you, I'll never recover**

**If I fall for you, I'll never be the same**

"Hey, it's me again. I just wanted to call and check on you. Things are getting crazy and I was just hoping we could hang out. Talk, get coffee or something. I really just want to talk to you about something and I think you're the only one that can ease my mind. So just call me back Nate" Blair said as she got his answering machine. Ending the call, Blair looked on at her phone before she tossed it on to her bed. Reaching over towards her box of pictures, Blair sift through the numerous pictures of the gang of when they were young. Grabbing the photo that was of all of them together with Katie, Blair couldn't help but look at the picture longer than she intended. Blair swore that in her mind that she could hear Katie telling her to follow her instincts and to protect the group. Katie had always been the protector in her calming way, while Blair just went with the cut throat way of dealing with things but in the scheme of it all, Blair realized that she forgot that the essence of the group was missing. There was no protector, there was no one to keep a pulse on the individuals that they were all becoming.

**I really wanna love somebody**

**I really wanna dance the night away**

**I know we're only half way there**

**But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**

**I really wanna touch somebody**

**I think about you every single day**

**I know we're only half way there**

**But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**

Tossing his keys to the side as he entered his place, Dan sighed as he looked on at the lonesome place. Dropping his bag, Dan walked towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water before he flopped down on the sofa. Dan hated to be the one to buy in to the suspicions about Nate, but he knew that if there was one person he should tell, it should be Blair. Dan hated that there was a possibility that Blair was making a voo doo doll of him but it was just the role he had to play if he was ever going to show that a friend was all he was trying to be. Hearing a knock come to the door, Dan looked over at the door before he got up to answer it. Opening the door, Dan laughed to himself as he saw Bart and Rufus standing outside with a case of beer in hand.

"Wow, I must be imagining things now. Hell has freezed over for you two to become buddies" Dan laughed "All right, what the hell, I need some bit of excitement for the evening" he said as he opened up the door wide enough for Rufus and Bart to walk through.

**You're such a hard act for me to follow**

**Love me today don't leave me tomorrow, yeah**

**But if I fall for you, I'll never recoverI**

**f I fall for you, I'll never be the same**

Coloring his picture, Sean did his best to focus on his picture while the other little girls around him just laughed at his picture. Hearing the laughter, Serena looked up from her paper to see his horrible drawing and immediately burst in to laughter. Giving her a look, Sean looked down at his paper once more before he just finally had to concede that coloring wasn't his forte. Though stopping by a daycare program was the last thing she expected to do, Serena could quickly pick up that Sean was a regular as the owner was his friend from where he used to grow up in New York. It wasn't something she was accustomed to growing up as a privileged child where scribbling was considered to be child's play, but scribbling tonight for Serena was the best thing she could've asked for.

"Don't cheat" Sean told her

"Trust me, there's nothing on your paper that I want or care to emulate" Serena laughed "Were you always this horrible in coloring?" she asked

"I'm a guy, we don't do coloring" Sean stated

"And yet we have famous artists such as Vincent Gogh, last time I checked, he was a guy" Serena replied

"And last time I checked, he cut his ear off" Sean quickly replied

"That has nothing to do with what I just said or makes your argument valid" Serena laughed "What am I supposed to be doing anyways?" she asked

"Just finish drawing it and then put this on top" Sean said as he wrote down a message on a piece of paper before sliding it in front of her for her to see "I'll take care of the rest" he told her

"I'm afraid" Serena laughed

"You should be if it's my picture" Sean said as he joined in on the laughter.

**I really wanna love somebody**

**I really wanna dance the night away**

**I know we're only half way there**

**But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**

**I really wanna touch somebody**

**I think about you every single day**

**I know we're only half way there**

**But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**

**Oh, oh, oh, oh**

Letting out a yawn as he finished up the last of his work on the lap top, Chuck looked around the living room area to see that he was alone. Smelling the aromas coming from the kitchen, Chuck turned around to see that Jenny was in the kitchen cooking. Putting his lap top down on the table, Chuck quickly got up from his seat and made his way in to the kitchen. Wearing a smile from ear to ear as he looked at Jenny, Chuck couldn't help but have a one track mind when it came to his wife. Walking up from behind, Chuck began to kiss her neck while she attempted to cut the vegetables.

"Chuck, c'mon. Do you want to eat?" Jenny asked as she tried to get him to stop

"Not the vegetables" Chuck replied as he wore a devilish smile

"It's going to be late before we actually do eat something" Jenny protested as Chuck lead her back towards the bedroom

"I'll make it up to you in numerous ways, I guarantee that" Chuck laughed before he pulled her in to a kiss. Walking back towards the bed, Jenny quickly broke the kiss before she kicked the door close.

**I don't know where to start, I'm just a little lost**

**I wanna feel like we never gonna ever stop**

**I don't know what to do, I'm right in front of you**

**Asking you to stay, you should stay, stay with me tonight, yeah**

Getting up from his spot on the bed, Tyler walked up towards the dvd player to change the movies. Waiting until the movie was loaded, Tyler made his way back towards the bed where Eleanor sat up waiting for the next movie to begin. It had been a huge leap and bound for their relationship, but Eleanor was glad that she got to spend more time with her son. Tyler was the hardest to figure out but she was glad that along the way she was learning his tendencies. She may have been wrong, but she could tell that with how preoccupied he seemed at times, Eleanor could sense that he was internalizing a problem inside of him. Eleanor wanted to ask but she knew that she had to wait for him to tell her. So like everything that happened in their relationship, Eleanor was glad to wait for him to open up.

**I really wanna love somebody**

**I really wanna dance the night away**

**I know we're only half way there**

**But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**

**I really wanna touch somebody**

**I think about you every single day**

**I know we're only half way there**

**But you can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**

**Oh, oh, oh, oh**

Opening up the door, Lilly stood in shock as she saw a black man standing at her door. Unsure of how even got up towards the penthouse suites, Lilly looked around for a bit before she saw a box that was in his hands. Looking back at Richard as he sat on the sofa, Lilly just stood in shock by it all as she just couldn't process it for one second as to what was going on.

"I know a part of you is like 'oh, goodness. There's a black guy standing at my door' but I assure you that this is not what you think. I know someone that is every bit of chicken at this moment that wants to see you…" Sean began to say

"Who are you?" Lilly asked

"Sean Anderson" Sean introduced himself

"And you're here for someone else?" Lilly asked

"Yes" Sean replied "I know this sounds…you know what, I'm going to get the person that should be standing here because I can tell that you're looking at me weird" he said before be put the box down on the ground then he turned to walk towards the corner to literally pull Serena. Practically dragging Serena towards her mother's front door, Lilly stood even more shocked that Serena knew the Sean guy.

"Serena, what is going on?" Lilly asked as Serena froze for a moment in front of her mother. Looking at how nervous she was, Sean picked the box up and began to open it up to hand the picture frame to Lilly

"She misses you and messed up. She's willing to do whatever it takes to make things right with you and this is hopefully a start. So we'll be going, but you know how to reach her and she looks forward to your call or lunch or whatever you do" Sean said as Serena just nodded before he lead her away. Breaking free from his embrace, Serena walked back towards Lilly to hug her.

"I really do miss you" Serena whispered to her mother before she walked away. Watching Serena leave with Sean, Lilly couldn't quite say this was the strangest thing that Serena had ever done but it was definitely up there with the strangest. Looking on at the picture, Lilly couldn't help but feel a piece of her soften as it was a colored picture of stick figured mother and daughter like the one they draw in kindergarten. At the top of the paper it read 'I'm sorry'.

**_Meanwhile…_**

Rushing out of the Plaza, Serena laughed as she ran behind Sean towards the street. Noticing that the night time was coming upon them, Serena looked around to take in the city lights as it had been some time since she had been some time since she saw it. Serena had the thought of going back to the house but a part of her just wanted to stay out to take in the night. Hailing a taxi, Sean opened up the door for her but Serena found that her thoughts were getting the best of her. Noticing that she wasn't eager to get in, Sean looked at her skeptically.

"Show me something else?" Serena asked as Sean just closed the door to the taxi.

"Uh, okay. I guess I can show you an arcade that I happen to love and just discovered around here" Sean told her as they walked amongst the sea of people that crowd New York at night. Getting caught up in the fun, Serena and Sean came up with their possible places to go with her places of fun while they were out. Feeling a vibration come from her cell phone, Serena pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to see that her mother text her.

"Sean" Serena said as she cut him off from his babbling. Showing him her text that her mother sent, Sean read the message.

"Even when I'm mad I'll always love you" Sean read as he could see the clear joy on Serena's face "See. You happy?" he asked before Serena jumped in to his arms to hug him. "You now owe me big time for this" he laughed as Serena laughed excitedly.

"Can we?" Serena asked as she broke away from her embrace

"Like your mom isn't all ready in shell shock" Sean said as they headed back towards the Plaza.

**You can take me all the way, you can take me all the way**

* * *

**[Day Three]**

Swirling the rest of her drink around in her glass, Blair looked up from her plate to see the top of his head. Blair could remember days on end, where she thought that he would be her knight and shining armor, that he would be the guy for her. Blair knew they were young, but even then Blair wanted to believe that fairytales would exist and for the most part, Nate was her fairytale come to life. It had been earlier in the morning when he had called her to meet up with her for lunch. Blair breathed a sigh of relief to know that he was still able to maintain some bit of normalcy in their relationship since above all else they were still friends before every thing else. Due to his media circumstances, Blair was able to get them a private room at the Colony room so that they wouldn't be hounded with questions or reporters.

"How's your salad?" Nate asked

"It's a bit dry" Blair said as she took a sip from her water

"Do you want some of my burger?" Nate asked as he offered his plate like she was so used to him doing that it just seemed absurd to think any thing was wrong

"No, I'm good" Blair smiled

"So how is your job? How is that working out for you?" Nate asked

"It's very good actually. I got a promotion to Junior Assistant" Blair told him

"That's great. I'm sure Eleanor is loving that your in the industry let alone getting all sorts of success since you didn't take the Yale route after all" Nate said

"She's breathing a sigh of relief that is for sure, but I think she's just thankful these days" Blair smiled

"I've been meaning to see her…" Nate began to say as she didn't need to hear excuses

"Nate, it's okay. I don't expect you to with all that's going on with you. My mother is doing okay and she will continue to be okay" Blair replied

"I'm happy for you and I know that Eleanor will be just fine" Nate smiled

"Thank you, that actually means a lot to me" Blair smiled as a silence came between them

"Who would've ever thought we'd end up at this place?" Nate questioned

"What do you mean?" Blair asked

"Us being all grown up. You and I not being together. You turning in to this amazing person" Nate said

"I'm amazing?" Blair questioned

"C'mon, you know this" Nate told her "You were always the one for me. I may have acted dumb about it at times, but you were the love of my life" he said

"Yeah well, we were each other's first love at such a young age. I remember planning our make believe weddings and then our college lives that ended with honors of course" Blair smiled

"But you found your way, even when I held you back a few times from doing so" Nate said "I'm not sure I ever said this but I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't man enough to end things before it started to hurt you. I know that I may have played a part in your insecurities with the whole bulimia…" he began to say

"You may have, but you also played a part in being my cure" Blair smiled as she rested her hand on top of his "I'm not mad about anything or wish to change anything because then we wouldn't be the people we are today. We wouldn't have this amazing chance to be happy and experience the things we dreamed about" she said

"Well your doing a better job than I" Nate laughed as a bit of his emotions were beginning to show "I was always one step behind you, I guess that's why I could never keep you. You were just too great for me even at a young age" he smiled

"Maybe, but you're perfect in your own way Archibald. You're a bit slow to realize it, but you'll see it" Blair smiled as they looked on at each other for a few moments, just enjoying the honesty of the moment "If there was anything wrong, you'd tell me right?" she asked as Nate took a moment

"Yes" Nate replied after a few moments

"I mean it. I would want you to tell me if something was wrong" Blair told him

"Blair, nothing is wrong. Everything will be okay. The constant coverage is crazy, but I know I will get my peace soon" Nate said as Blair couldn't help but stare at him skeptically for a moment "I mean it, everything is fine" he told her once more and like before she didn't feel the comfort in the words that should've put ease in her. "C'mon let's get out of here. I have to meet up with Chuck and hopefully catch up with Serena" he said as he put the money down on the table while Blair smiled weakly. In that moment, Blair knew that even though he said things were okay, Blair knew that things weren't okay with Nate.

* * *

After her lunch with Nate, Blair felt as if she was walking through her day like she was some sort of a zombie. The thrill of her promotion hadn't lingered with her like she wanted it to as she found that she was forcing herself to be something that she wasn't. Her talk with Nate should've assured her but Blair couldn't help but get this nagging feeling out of her heart that made her feel like her instincts were kicking in like Katie had always told her to follow. Louis would try his best to get her to talk but Blair just wasn't sure how she could express her thoughts when she viewed them as crazy on her own. Once it was time for her to leave for the night, Blair had originally intended to leave to go home to spend time with her mother but she found that she was taking an unexpected detour. Taking a seat on the steps as she was unsure if the spare key was where they had left it last, Blair just wanted to sit with her thoughts for a moment that eventually turned in to an hour upon his arrival. Surprised to see the brunette after a long day at work, Dan stood just looking at her for a moment as he could tell that she needed a friend in this moment. Taking a seat beside her on the step, Dan sat in the silence just waiting for her to initiate the conversation.

"What if…what if you're right? How would that be possible?" Blair asked as she sat in a haze of confusion

"I can't exactly give you the how because I wouldn't know but I definitely understand" Dan told her

"How can you understand that? I mean how does a guy that clearly loved girls go to a guy that likes…guys?" Blair asked

"You can't help who you fall in love with Blair. There's nothing inside of us that can say I will love this person because of this and that reason, we love who we love because that's what our heart wants" Dan said

"I just don't see how he can go from one extreme to the next?…this is suicide Humphrey" Blair said as tears welled up in her eyes "I just don't understand how he could even get to that, I want you to give me some sort of proof that he would want that because the guy I know…he wouldn't want that" she said

"You mean the guy that you used to love, the guy that you thought you would marry, the guy that you were going to visit at Dartmouth while you at Yale?" Dan asked "That guy hasn't been that guy for some time now, and I think unintentionally you kept him as that role because that's what he was in your life that you forgot to realize that he did change in that time. He found what he really wanted, he accepted what his path was" he said

"Don't get philosophical on me" Blair sighed

"I'm not trying to be. I'm just trying to be a friend" Dan told her as she looked over at him

"I'm sorry for not believing you Humphrey" Blair muttered "I guess deep down and even now, I want you to be wrong" she said

"You forget that since the day we met, I've always been the guy that got the brunt of your snaky comments. I'm more than happy to be that guy because I know I'll get these moments…the moments where your heart shows and I happen to think it's worth it every time" Dan smiled at her

"So what do I do?" Blair asked as she wiped away tears

"Are you asking for my advice?" Dan asked

"No, I just asked just to see you make that face" Blair replied sarcastically

"You won't like the idea but I think we need all hands on deck with this one" Dan told her as he got up from his seat on the step "You're destined to save us all but you don't always have to take on the world by yourself" he told her as he extended his hand out towards her

"But I'm the Queen" Blair muttered as Dan just laughed to himself

"A Queen is nothing without a country to call her their Queen. So let's work on getting your royal court together and possibly getting your country in line" Dan told her

"I wouldn't be a leader if I needed help. I know it may sound silly, but I was suppose to make sure that everyone else was okay. I'm supposed to look after them like Katie had wanted" Blair asked

"You've never been a follower Waldorf, and I hardly think now will be the time you start to follow" Dan told her "Sometimes it's not about knowing or understanding the situation with a friend, sometimes what a friend needs is to know that they'll have someone who will be there any time day or night. It's all about being there, that's all we can do" he said before Blair took his hand so that he could help her up.

* * *

**[Day Four]**

_As of now, in the city of New York 8,244,910 people. You'd never think that as you'd walk the streets, but wandering the streets, the taxi's driving by, building with numerous employers, sightseers; they all encompass New York City. It's the facts that have become interesting to the life of a political family, it's the facts that can either make or break a campaign because all the people really want, right? They want facts. People want to know what's right and what's wrong, then they want some other mathematical reason to not have to think of why they choose what they choose. I like to believe that politicians come around every year like Christmas, promising you that you actually have a voice in your country, promising you that you matter, promising you things that in the end you have the right to have a say. "Everyone has a voice". That's my cousin, Tripp Archibald, slogan for his campaign. It's become a motto that my family has adopted, it's a motto that we've identified with for the sake of media. Well, my voice, it's one that you don't hear too often. It's okay, I'm the forgotten member of the Non Judgmental Breakfast Club. I'm the guy that everyone see's as perfect, Abercrombie and Fitch model, the boy that got in between the most followed friendship in the Upper Eastside, I'm the guy that's suppose to have it all. Well I can tell you that it's not as simple as you think. It's okay, soon you will hear my voice. Soon you will understand why my voice is the least heard out of all my friends. Soon you'll hear everything that there is to know about me because like Tripp says…."Everyone has a voice"._

_Sincerely,_

_Nathaniel Archibald 5/01/2009_

Looking on at the letter once more as he sat in the car of the motel parking lot, Nate looked around at his surroundings as if he wanted to memorize it. It hadn't been his choice to end up in a place like this but then he never wanted to be in this place in general when it came to his life. Grabbing his bag that held the very items that would be necessary in his ending, Nate took a deep breath as if he had one final gut check within himself. One final time to go back on his decision. One final time to take the hardest road that he's ever been on in his life. Feeling weaker than ever, Nate's fears got the best of him before he finally just grabbed the bag and got out of the car. Thanking the heavens that no reporter had managed to follow him out to the motel, Nate pulled out his room key as he began to walk towards the room. With each step that he took, Nate took a deep breath just realizing that this was about to be his last. Standing in front of his room, Nate took one final deep breath as he accepted his fate at this point once he opened the door. Putting his hand on the door knob, Nate quickly put the key in to turn the knob. Opening the door, Nate stood in shock to see his friends sitting in the room waiting for him. Chuck sitting at the desk while Blair and Serena sat on the bed as if they had been waiting for him.

"You know, you could've chosen better Archibald" Blair said as she looked on at the comforter set on the mattress "I don't even a thousand thread count is achieved when you add up every room at this motel" she stated

"What are you guys are doing here?" Nate asked nervously

"Oh, c'mon. You honestly didn't think I wasn't going to find out did you?" Blair asked

"Nathaniel you've got to work on your dramatics. I mean this is beneath even you" Chuck replied

"Okay, this isn't funny. You guys need to leave" Nate said becoming upset

"Can't do that" Serena quickly replied

"I've cleared my entire schedule to be here" Chuck then added

"Face it, we've got this…roach infested room for a whole day, so you have no choice but to live out this horrid experience with us" Blair told him

"I've made my mind up" Nate told him

"And we've accepted that it was a stupid conclusion and plan to begin with because if you truly would've thought this through, you would've come up with a better plan" Blair said

"Like what? What plan would've been better?!" Nate asked as he grew frustrated

"You would definitely choose a better wardrobe for the day. You pants look like pajama bottoms" Blair stated

"Then you would've played a game of soccer in the park for the cardio workout that you're big on" Serena added

"Maybe spark up one before visiting your parents, which I think should be a legal process to visit any of our parents" Chuck said

"Then you tell us all that we need to meet up for some good, epic times" Serena laughed "We all have nothing better to do and could use a bit of the herbal release" she said

"Speak for yourself, I go because someone needs to be the sane one out of the bunch" Blair replied "Then as we get to Chuck's imaginary penthouse suite that he lived in once upon a time, you two never get around to the herbs because this is the part where we just talk about how crappy one of our parents is being, then of course….Serena" she said as Serena pinched her

"Sadly, I dodge the questions thrown my way but in the end after we get that moment of silence…" Serena began to say

"Where we realize that we all have the same screwed up lives that have eventually bounded us together in the strangest of ways…" Chuck began to say

"You get nervous, sweat a bit. You go back and forth but you then realize that if there's any people that you want to tell, it'd be us. So you just finally say what the hell, and you dig deep to tell us what you've been aching to say to someone, anyone" Blair said as they all looked over at Nate to fill in his portion of the role play that they were doing "You're scared, think about avoiding that voice inside that's urging you to speak up until you finally say" she said as Nate rubbed his sweaty palms together as tears welled up in his eyes as he looked on at his friends

"I'm gay" Nate says as he feels like his truth is finally revealed. Looking at them all, Nate tries to observe their reaction.

"You feel nervous because you're waiting for someone to say something" Serena said as the tears streamed down Nate's face

"I, of course, am nervous to be the first one to say anything because speaking isn't my forte" Chuck says

"I look over at Blair because she always has a way with the words" Serena says as she looks over at Blair

"And me being the graceful and inspiring figure that I am to you all…" Blair began to say

"Waldorf" Serena and Chuck said as they stopped her from babbling on about herself

"I say it's okay and that we still love you all the same. We ultimately agree on my statement and we just continue on" Blair said as Nate began to break in to tears

"It's not supposed to be that easy. You're supposed to have questions" Nate cried

"We do, but we see that you're finally at peace and realize that this weight has been taken off your shoulders, so we leave that for another time because right now all we care about is you and your happiness" Blair said

"Then I suggest emancipation if your parents don't understand along with the spirited screw em' if they don't understand" Chuck said

"See Archibald, you over thought this. I clearly am still ahead of you in so many areas. Sooner or later you'll keep up, but until then…I think you should go with my way of doing things, they're less roach infested and dramatic" Blair smiled

"I could never keep up with you Waldorf" Nate smiled through the tears as they all just gave the silent confirmation that they would continue on. They weren't a group known for hugging but knowing that his friends didn't look at him any differently, Nate felt as if this was better than any hug they could've given. "How'd you guys find me?" he then asked as he took a seat at the head of the bed

"That's a long story, which I won't tell because I want the allure that I can find you at any place and anytime so you won't try to pull this crap again" Blair told him as they all just laughed and talked in their seedy motel room they had for the day.

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in the Chapter**

**Maroon 5- Love Somebody**

**Author's Note: I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. So as you know, Nate has officially gotten a storyline. I wanted to put a bit more focus on him and explain a bit of his story. It will begin to unravel peice by peice in the upcoming chapters. **

**I wanted to take a bit of an extreme route with Nate with the suicide thought because Nate felt as if he had no one to talk to. Nate felt as if he couldn't be the person that everyone perceived him to be than he was dead all ready because that guy didn't exist. I wanted Nate to acknowledge his past as if he was saying his goodbye but really gave a way to show his storyline a bit more. I know I'm strange with my storytelling and I over think it a bit. Ultimately I was happy with how Chuck, Serena, and Blair were there for him in the end because in the end he just wanted to know that no one would see him differently and that they did love him as is regardless. I wanted Blair to be the biggest proponent of dealing with Nate because she is the leader of the group.**

**In Nate's storyline I wanted to focus on the fact that he didn't have the oppurtunity to really access how he feels to be honest about what he feels or is real to him because so much of the public eye was on him. So Nate's storyline is going to have all the pains of what it's like to come out and come out in the public spectrum**

**DAIR- I liked them in this chapter because I thought they had that From the Beginning type feel with how they bicker but understood each other in the end. Dan loves Blair, but he's accepted that they both need to find their way but at the same time they keep on coming back to each other. So who knows what can come of that. Wink, wink, wink.**

**Everyone's storyline is going to have interesting developments, and I wish I could tell you but I just can't give it away.**


	18. The Unblairable Lightness of Being

**Author's Note: I won't write much because this chapter is pretty long. Thank you all for your reviews and I hope to keep them coming from you guys.I think we have about four or five chapters left so things will definitely start to pick up. I hope you enjoy the chapter as well.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Seventeen- In the Land of Women**

* * *

**How the Madness Began…**

Wiping her bathroom mirror of the mist that had gathered upon it, Blair looked herself over before she began to put on her nightly crème for her routine. Hearing her phone vibrate beside her on the bathroom counter, Blair smiled as she looked to see that it was Louis texting her to let her know that he had made it back to his hotel room. Putting her hair up in a messy bun, Blair left her concerns for the important thing which was her baby soft skin that she had to maintain. Just as she finished up her routine, Blair could hear laughter come from downstairs. Eyeing the clock in her bedroom, Blair could see that it was a bit late for her mother to be up but since the house was becoming a revolving door with visitors frequenting often, Blair just knew that company was probably over at this time of hour. Making her way downstairs, Blair saw that it was the usual suspects, Dan and Tyler while Eleanor sat in the middle just enjoying the attention she was getting as they looked on at the albums. Sitting off in the chair, Dorota smiled as she tucked away trinkets that were out for this trip down memory lane.

"What's going on?" Blair asked as she made her way in to the living room

"We're just going through old photo albums that I found today on my excursion of trying to break free" Eleanor laughed

"Break free?" Blair asked as she flopped down on the opposing sofa

"Yeah, she wanted me to meet her at the park so she could get away from Cyrus's reading sessions" Dan said

"And somehow the truth finally comes out on what you really think about Cyrus's whole reading aloud habit" Blair replied "So you just what? Decided to pull out all these boxes to throw at him as some feeble attempt to off him?" she asked

"Well, I'm sure the strength wouldn't allow me to do such a thing…" Eleanor began to say

"Or the fact that he's your husband" Tyler stated as he continued to flip through the albums

"That too. I just started looking at a few pictures until I just decided to make a day of it" Eleanor smiled "Look Blair, this was you on your fourth birthday" she said as she showed the picture she was looking at

"Who knew you were in to headbands at even a young age" Dan teased as Blair just gave him a look with a slight laugh

"Then this is your first fashion show" Eleanor smiled as Blair looked on at the album

"Yeah, I remember that Dorota had a hard time trying to get me to leave. I must've fired you like twenty times during my temper tantrums" Blair said as she remembered the moment as Dorota just smiled.

"Even then Ms. Blair was very temperamental" Dorota replied

"Then there's last years Christmas card photos" Eleanor said

"I hated that day. It took like two hours for the photographer to get the right angle and shot, I was tempted to just take the picture" Dan laughed as he laid back on the arm of the sofa to rest his head

"The picture came out good though. That was one of our best ones" Eleanor smiled as Blair's attention shifted over towards Tyler, noticing that he was looking at the wedding album between Harold and Eleanor longer than usual

"She designed her own dress there" Blair stated to catch Tyler's attention as he looked over at her "She only designed three in her career but that was always the best, at least in my opinion" she told him as she smiled on at the picture

"Yeah, it looks…it looks stunning" Tyler replied as he looked from Blair over towards Eleanor "Your wedding looked like a royal event" he said as he looked over at Eleanor

"It wasn't" Eleanor laughed "I just had a knack for getting the right angles for the photographer. It was just an intimate ceremony because Harold and I didn't have the money for a big wedding" she said

"I remember you two always used to say that you would redo your vows if you ever got around to it. You wanted to add designing the perfect wedding to your list of talents" Blair smiled

"Another added thing that didn't get accomplished" Eleanor sighed

"Well I think that was a bit out of your control with daddy being gay and all" Blair replied

"You would've and still make a beautiful bride Ms. Eleanor" Dorota said as she smiled over at her employer as she continued to tuck away items into their respective boxes.

"I don't think I wanted it after a while, I think the allure was just planning one" Eleanor replied

"Then why don't you just plan a make believe one" Tyler suggested "Dan could write a fake article for his newspaper and then you'll have achieved designer status" he said

"Sadly on my job, the fake would make for a pressing article that people would feel enticed to read as a weekly thing" Dan sighed

"Again, I question…" Blair began to say

"Zip it. It's a job that pays the bills" Dan quickly stated as they laughed at how well he knew her

"I'm not going to waste my time with a make believe. I believe the goal was to make it come to life, I mean I think I still even remember every detail that I wanted in the wedding" Eleanor smiled as she thought back to her memories

"Then why not just marry of Dorota and Vanya" Dan suggested as the room went dead silent

"What?" Dorota asked in near surprise

"Dorota and Vanya have this whole secret engagement that they think no one knows about, which is becoming blatantly obvious with your ringtone being 'Going to the Chapel'. Then Vanya has mentioned that he's picked up extra shifts to afford a future endeavor he's excited about every time I talk to him" Dan said

"He's mentioned it?" Dorota asked as a smile went across her face to know that Vanya was thinking about her

"Who's more deserving of a wedding than Dorota" Dan said

"And not just any wedding, an Eleanor Waldorf wedding" Tyler replied as he added details to Dan's suggestion "We could make it a society piece to add happy news to the current state of media" he said

"All of which you've added to" Blair quickly replied to her brother's sentiments on the matter "But if I had to weigh in on this, it would be a good way to avoid the daily read alouds that Cyrus has forced upon you. I mean if I remember correctly, he just purchased the Harry Potter Collection" she said as Eleanor face turned to worry

"No, I do not want wedding. It is all so sweet but I don't want you to worry about me" Dorota laughed nervously

"I suppose we should've included the very person we're talking about" Dan said

"Please, that's the smallest of details to worry about. I like it, I think it could be the very creative juices you need to stay inspired. Dorota will just merely have to suck it up and suffer through the tedious dress fitting and all that come along with being a bride" Blair replied

"My, my have all my opinionated group of kids managed to agree upon something?" Eleanor asked as she smiled on at them

"No" Blair and Tyler replied in unisons as Dan and Eleanor just laughed to themselves at how stubborn the two were being

"So how about it Dorota?…you feel like getting married?" Dan asked as they all looked over at Dorota. Feeling nervous with all the attention on her, Dorota nervously played with her apron as she could only draw upon what she truly felt in the moment. Letting the nervousness subside, Dorota let a smile slip that only made Blair happy to see of the woman that had become like a second mother to her.

"Mother, I believe you have a wedding to plan" Blair smiled.

* * *

**It's a beautiful night,**

**We're looking for something dumb to baby,**

**I think I wanna marry you.**

_Radio Host: Good morning Upper Eastside. Now is the time to welcome in exciting news that can put the scandal of all things politics aside. Nothing like a extravagant Upper Eastside wedding to get the gossip juices flowing. Who says the help won't have their moment in the spotlight? Apparently the missing in action business mogul, Eleanor Waldorf, will be throwing a wedding not for herself but for her maid. Yep, you heard right. Eleanor Waldorf is marrying off her maid, Dorota Kishlovsky in what is said to be the royal event of the month. Boy, this must be years worth of Christmas bonuses coming to fruition as I've never heard of marrying off the help._

**Is it the look in your eyes,**

**Or is it this dancing juice?**

**Who cares baby,**

**I think I wanna marry you.**

Though it would be for a short time period, it seemed as if the whole Upper Eastside had turned the gloom away on it's heels and welcomed in the wedding event. Never expecting it to take off the way it did, Blair was sure that all the buzz was behind her mother's participation in the so called royal like wedding. Newspapers, magazines, blogs and all featured the tidbit of the wedding in some way shape or form that Blair was sure Dorota was enjoying as she was becoming an overnight sensation to hired help all over the Upper Eastside. All over the city, people were receiving their invitations as they were feverishly rushing to call in their RSVP to make sure they had a seat at an Eleanor Waldorf wedding even if she wasn't the one being married off.

**Well I know this little chapel on the boulevard we can go,**

**No one will know,Oh, come on, cares if we're trashed got a pocket full of cash we can blow,**

**Shots of patron,**

**And it's on, girl.**

Looking on at himself in the mirror in his final fitting of the tux, Dan smiled as he was pleased the process was over for him. Stepping off his stool, Dan walked over towards where Vanya was to check in on him to see how his fitting was going. Smiling from ear to ear, Dan couldn't help but feel touched that he was able to be a part in the wedding party as Vanya's best man. Vanya hadn't made too many friends in the country since he hadn't been in the states long enough to, but Dan was happy to help make Dorota's day special in anyway possible.

**Don't say no, no, no, no-no;**

**Just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah;**

**And we'll go, go, go, you're ready, like I'm ready.**

Tapping her foot nervously, Blair looked on at her watch to keep track of time. Meeting up with her mother and Dorota on this must buy dress that they came across, Blair hadn't been given too many options but to come down to see the dress on her lunch break. Growing impatient by the minute, Blair attempted to do some of her work from her phone while she sat in the dressing area of the shop. Scrolling through e-mails, making mental notes on what to handle when she got back, Blair could only feel the tension build as she just wished that she was able to actually get work completed rather than hope that she could by the end of the day. Just as Blair prepared to tell her mother that she would have to see the dress later, Blair was quickly surprised to see Dorota as she came out in her wedding gown. Stopping dead in her tracks, Blair couldn't help but stare at Dorota like she was a princess as she had never seen Dorota look so beautiful in her life. Seeing Blair's smile, Dorota turned to look at herself in the mirror as she too felt how beautiful she was.

**Cause it's a beautiful night,**

**We're looking for something dumb to baby,**

**I think I wanna marry you.**

* * *

Walking through the venue of where the wedding was to be held, Blair and Serena couldn't help but feel as if they were bumping in to someone or something that had to do with the wedding. Blair had assumed that her mother was going to do a lavish wedding but not to the standards that was taking up every hotel room that the Plaza had to offer. Her mother may not have stated it but it was clear that the hotel had been shut down for her convenience and her convenience only. People seemed to ooh and awe over the fact that Eleanor was out and about like she once was, which was comforting for Blair to see as still wanted her mother to carry on her stature in the community but Blair still held a protective and watchful eye over her mother to make sure she wasn't over doing it. Making their way out towards the balcony area, Blair and Serena looked on at the cameras pointed in their direction as any shot of them was newsworthy for either Gossip Girl or just the regular tid bits in the society pages.

"I'm glad I can finally get ahold of you. I was beginning to think you were off limits or something" Blair teased as Serena laughed nervously

"No, Jay and I have just been swamped with work and then getting used to the new house" Serena said "He's coming to the wedding though. He wants our first public appearance as a couple to be the wedding which is good because I want as much attention to be brought towards Dorota and her day" she smiled

"And only a public event can be clarified as an event with Serena van der Woodsen present" Blair laughed "How is that going? Living together and all?" she then asked

"It's been going good" Serena smiled "We're just…we're happy" she told her

"Good, I'm happy for you S" Blair smiled at her friend "I'm not understanding the latest fashion trend with the long sleeve blouses by you, but I'm sure you're just trying to turn the media on to the latest fashion" she said

"I'm loving this new line…Javore" Serena told her

"New line? S, Javore isn't exactly the newest line on the block. I admit it was mediocre when it came out with the few pieces that were breathtaking, but it's not all too new less in case your making a play for vintage" Blair laughed

"I like them. I happen to think they're a diamond in the rough and plus, they hide my chub a wub I have going on" Serena smiled "How are things with Louis?" she then asked

"Good, really good. He's even coming to the wedding as my date" Blair relayed

"Oh, so we're both showcasing the relationships" Serena said "How do you think Dan will react to it?" she asked

"He'll be fine with it. I mean we've talked about it as far as us moving on and what we'd have to accept, but we've talked about it" Blair told her

"So you two talked about how to move on?" Serena questioned

"Yes, we have a very open communication. We discuss things that need to be discussed" Blair told her "We're still best friends, that aspect hasn't changed due to us not being together" she reasoned

"But I never thought you had to plan how to move on from the person you plan to move on from. I mean it just seems like you've got the best of both worlds going on" Serena said

"What do you mean?" Blair asked

"You date your frenchy, but hang out with your ex. Do you not see the huh factor in there?" Serena asked

"Said the girl that's dating one guy, but is spotted with another the majority of the time" Blair replied "Look, Dan is my best friend. Louis is my…he means something to me" she said

"And what does that mean?" Serena asked "You should know what he means" she said

"It just means that we're dating, and Dan understands that. Dan is complete support of my decisions and with someone that is mature like that, it makes it easy to fall in to old habits of hanging out all the time" Blair said "He's matured and he's evolved in to the man I always knew he was, Dan knows that us even remotely going down that path towards getting back together would jeopardize his growth and I don't want to stunt any growth in him. Dan is focused on his writing as he should be and he's pursuing getting an agent. Those are his goals of the short term future and I don't intend to distract him from it" she said

"First of all, you sound like you're his personal growth guru or something. So what about the long term goals? Let's say he achieves the long term, then what?" Serena asks as she looked on at a speechless Blair

"We make more goals and we achieve those goals until we morph in to the people we're destined to become. We're all about the individual entity, not the us and that is something we're both on the same page on with" Blair state proudly.

"As long as you buy into the delusional then that's all that matters" Serena laughed as Blair just looked at her

**_Meanwhile…_**

Finishing up his dance lesson with the dance instructor, Dan was more than thrilled to finally get his break. Walking towards the bar, Dan couldn't help but see the camera's popped up from outside bushes and trees that were just trying to get some sort of an image. Though he had a minimal experience with the media, Dan couldn't help but feel for Nate as it was hard to even do something so normal around in the Upper Eastside. Grabbing a bottle of water from the on staff caterers, Dan gave his silent thanks before he walked over to take a seat at a table with Carter and Tyler following behind him. Just taking in the sight of Dorota and Vanya dancing together with Eleanor and her assistant monitoring their progression in the dancing department, Dan couldn't help but laugh to himself at how funny it all looked. On occasion, Dan found that his eyes would drift over towards Eleanor to make sure that she was doing okay, but he knew that babying her would only frustrate her. As much as they wanted to be hands off when it came to Eleanor, they all knew that the main focus still had to be to make sure that she wasn't over doing it.

"I saw on the guest list that Blair is bringing Louis" Tyler asked as he looked over at Dan

"Rule number one, you must ease in to the Blair topic with him. You see, he's like a scared bunny rabbit that is nibbling his way out of the forest. You feed him bit by bit then clamp him down with the big question" Carter told him

"I'm not that fragile" Dan reasoned

"Right, you're just highly sensitive" Carter quickly replied

"What exactly is going on there? I mean you two are broken up but you appear to be together every time I see you. I know she's in to the French dude that comes over occasionally to drop her off. Explain the whole situation there?" Tyler asked

"To keep it simple, Blair and I are indeed broken up. We hang out because we're still best friends, and she is dating the French guy" Dan told him

"And that's all good with you?" Tyler asked as Dan could help but laugh to himself with the biggest of smiles

"Why are you smiling? You're supposed go in to the emo mode" Carter laughed as he asked

"Because I might have some bit of an ulterior motive" Dan told them as Carter became more intrigued "Blair likes weddings and with how things are going, we'll be spending more time together. Then I've arranged for a room to be set up for us" he said

"Wow, you're really going all in on this" Tyler said "Do you think it'll work?" asked

"I hope" Dan sighed "We've talk about the moving on phase so much that I'm starting to believe that she's trying to talk herself in to moving on rather than actually doing it" he said

"Which explains the French guy she's going out with. That's all sheer propaganda for the purpose of one" Carter replied sarcastically

"Maybe, I'm crazy but I can't just pretend that I'm not interested in more. I don't want anyone else, and hopefully she'll realize when we're forced to be in the romantic mode of a wedding she'll see that I'm still there" Dan said

"And where does the room come in?" Tyler asked "Clearly you have high hopes in a one area" he said

"No, I'm not thinking in that way. If that were to happen then it'd be great but I just want us to be together and block out all the thoughts and goals that we're supposed to obtain on our own to be together…just be" Dan described

"See, you have more of a romantic bone than I'll ever have. My intention of getting a room would be what it's made to be for" Carter teased "I feel it'd be an insult not to get a room because it's like I'm telling her that she's not worthy of having sex with me…" he began to say

"And this logic got him a girlfriend?" Tyler asked as he looked over at Dan in disbelief

"I know, crazy but it grows on you until it actually becomes funny" Dan told him

"Well I wish you all the luck because it takes a special man to love someone that diabolical as my sister" Tyler said as he held his water bottle up to toast Dan

"Here, here" Carter added "And to the room, that will not be used properly" he then added.

* * *

Busying herself with going through her e-mails that her publicist had sent her way, Serena made mental notes on the things she had to cancel due to not being appearance ready. All throughout the day, Serena smiled and enjoyed being with the Waldorf's but a part of Serena wanting nothing more than to just get back to the house. While Jason was away at practice or business, his time away allowed her to heal from the usual rough nights that they had. With playoffs being so grueling and management not budging on his contract, Serena had found that Jason was becoming more and more aggressive with her to where he would punch her on the arm or forcefully grab her until she obeyed his request. Serena knew that it was a crazy way of living, but Serena couldn't manage to find it within herself to take time away from Jason. He would be so mean at times that it was scary and then would be the guy that she fell in love with to the point where it just felt like a mind game to her. Most of the time she tried not to think about because she was too busy hiding the marks he had left behind and that in itself was becoming a full time job. Taking a seat beside her at the table, Sean began to pick up the menu as he looked over what was good to eat.

"Why is everything so overpriced? Why can't a burger be four dollars and not the price of gas?" Sean asked as he went through the menu as all Serena could do was laugh

"Stop being picky, just pick something and be done with it" Serena said

"All right, luckily you've got enough clout in this place to get free meals" Sean sighed "I talked with Jay, he's leaving out of Boston early in the morning but should be back in time for the wedding" he said

"Oh, okay" Serena replied

"So your perfect public appearance is coming to fruition like you planned" Sean told her

"It's not that big of a deal for me like it is to Jason. It's just something to get over without having to avoid questions all the time" Serena said

"Well regardless, it's happening" Sean said a bit irritated with the topic

"What's wrong with you? Are things okay with Rochelle?" Serena asked

"When isn't there anything going on. She's running up all these charges for this wedding and she doesn't even know the bride. She's acting like we're all best friends with the Waldorf's" Sean said

"You're my friend, and well maybe she wants to look good for this type of social event or…maybe she might want to look good for you" Serena told him

"Trust me, I'm a simple guy. I don't need a girl to be all dolled up with things I know she's only going to wear once" Sean said

"You do realize that is the dumbest thing you've said right? I mean fashion in itself is something you put time and effort in to regardless of the usage" Serena said

"Spoken like a rich person" Sean laughed "In my land of practical and sensibility, I believe you should buy within your means as well as live within them" he said

"Just what type of girl are you looking for with these beliefs you have?" Serena asked as Sean hung his head

"No, not that again" Sean groaned

"Yes, this again because you seem to like Rochelle but you don't seem to have any deep connection with her, which makes me question why you even stay with her" Serena asked

"Oh, don't paint me in to that guy" Sean stated "I like her and I think she's cool when she's not trying to get close to the Upper Eastside by any means of Gossip Girl or you. I just think if she spent more time being real then we could potentially have something" he said

"So you're staying there for the potential and the sex that you're benefiting from" Serena concluded

"If that's what you think" Sean replied

"Look, let's just call it what it is" Serena replied as Sean looked at her skeptically as he wondered what she was alluding to "She's not the girl and you're staying with her for the sex. I don't care how you say the possible potential and all the other stuff because if the potential was there then you'd appreciate that it was there. So let's stop blaming her for not being good enough in the relationship when it's you that's the problem. Either you like her or you don't but don't sit here and put it off on her" she said as she got up from her seat leaving Sean confused as to why she seemed upset all of a sudden

"Serena…" Sean began to say

"Don't. I'm not hungry after all" Serena said before she began to walk away. Sighing in frustration, Sean hung his head as he knew he had messed up

"Nice job Anderson" Sean said to himself before he threw his napkin down on the table.

* * *

Sitting on the sofa, Nate nervously began to play with his hands as the silence in the room had become overwhelming for him. It had been a whole day since Nate had revealed to his family that the rumors were true in some sense, but ultimately the jest of the revelation that was true was that he was in fact gay. Nate didn't exactly know what to expect as reactions weren't as he expected but he hoped that his family would understand just as his friends did. Staring off outside the window in the corner, Nate looked over at his mother to see that her expressions hadn't changed much but she was dealing with the news in her own way. Tripp sat across from him as Nate began to realize that this was the only piece of family that would be joining him today and that he was sure convenient excuses would come from the rest. Moving from side to side, Nate found that the longer the silence, the more irritable he became as he just wished that someone would say something at this point. Pulling his phone out, Tripp looked on at his messages that he had received which let Nate know that Tripp was probably expected somewhere.

"Are we finally going to talk about this?" Nate asked as Anne, Nate's mother had walked over to join the two boys

"Your father is still dealing with this. It's a lot for him to handle and you should expect the same with your grandfather" Anne told him

"Okay, I pretty much expected that. You?" Nate asked

"I'm still trying to understand Nathaniel" Anne told him as a silence came between them

"We as a family stand behind you and support you, Nate. Let's just get that clear right now" Tripp said "We want you to be happy however way you choose to live your life" he said

"That's good to here" Nate smiled as he felt a bit relieved "I understand that this is all much to handle but I know they will respect my decision" he said as Tripp became a bit uneasy with what he was saying. Just as Nate began to notice Tripp's nervousness, Nate looked up to see that Tripp's campaign adviser was coming in to the room as if he were summoned or supposed to be here "What's going on?" he then asked

"We just need to make sure that you're protected in all of this" Tripp replied

"Protect in what way?" Nate asked

"Just listen sweetheart" Anne told her son

"How long have you been a part of this underground prostitution ring? And what exactly is it?" Tripp's campaign manager asked as he prepared to take notes

"I wasn't really that much involved, it was just a misunderstanding" Nate replied a bit skeptical "I thought I explained everything to you guys" he said

"Yes, you explained that you're sexual preference has changed but you forget to realize that the campaign is what the focus has to shift to. You become a target, someone that could potentially cost votes" Tripp said

"What was your part in all of this?" Tripp's campaign manager asked

"I…uh. I needed a favor from a friend, so in order to get what I needed I had to meet up with this guy that happened to be in the political unit as some sort of advisor. We talked until it was clear that he wanted more, it was then that I realized what type of business it was" Nate told them as Anne couldn't manage to hear the details so she quickly disappeared off into the other room

"So you slept with this said advisor?" Tripp asked

"Who was he?" Tripp's advisor asked

"I don't know. We never used real names" Nate said "No, I didn't sleep with him…" he began to say

"At what part did you start sleeping with clients of this prostitution ring" Tripp's advisor asked

"I didn't sleep with any clients of this prostitution…I'm not a prostitute" Nate stated

"There's documents Nate, documents that state otherwise" Tripp replied

"Okay, but that was because…look, I didn't sleep with the first couple of guys. They just wanted company and the perception that I would, I was fortunate enough to know the trade of alcohol is your best friend at certain points" Nate told them

"Then how can you be sure you're even gay?!" Tripp asked

"Because I only slept with one person and he was a guy" Nate quickly replied

"So he just what? Awoke your inner gay?" Tripp asked "I'm a bit confused why you've troubled this family with such a declaration that is panning out to not be true" he questioned

"Asher, the guy I slept with, he had figured out that I was involved with this, and so he needed the confirmation to know so he bought and specifically set up for us to meet. We had talked and as time progressed…things just lead to what they are now. I never intended for this but it happened and it had no political reasoning behind it like the media is trying to make this out to be" Nate revealed "It looks bad, but it was just a way to get what I had originally came for. Asher requested me on a weekly basis but that was only so no one else knew" he said

"So you're only client was Asher, as in Asher Hornesby?" Tripp's advisor asked

"Yes and he wasn't a client" Nate said

"He paid for your services, which you completed. This isn't broke back mountain, this Pretty Woman the gay addition" Tripp replied

"So glad to have the supportive vibe from you" Nate replied sarcastically

"Yeah well, I'm practical. You can't admit you're new revelation to anyone. This has to stay in house" Tripp said

"Okay, what the hell is this? I feel like I'm being debriefed" Nate questioned

"The media doesn't need to be in our business let alone your coming out story of the month. This could potentially be a nightmare more than an evolution of the soul" Tripp said

"Ultimately, we need to secure the Catholic vote with George Sparks and…" Tripp's advisor began to say

"And me coming out will only put that vote in danger" Nate concluded

"You've made your choice by being what you are, so you shouldn't expect this family to suffer because of it. This family is on the verge of regaining prominence in the Upper Eastside that would put us past the Waldorf's" Tripp began to say

"So this is about the Waldorf's? They're our friends not our measure of importance" Nate replied

"Well they are and you need to start seeing it as that way. How you're viewed in this town is by your worth and what you do for a living? You of all people should know this. Your parents have put you in the best schools for you to advance in life, not to enjoy the good life but to carry on the family name and advance it's worth. So while you find your inner self, just know that you owe this family for all it's had to put up with on your behalf" Tripp scolded him "So I need you to be on board with this and understand the importance" he said

"Do I really have a say" Nate replied

* * *

They each sat with their respective note pads on their end of the sofa while they each jotted down their goal. Occasionally, Jenny looked up from her note pad to see that Chuck was still writing. Feeling as if she had to keep writing, Jenny quickly took to writing more stuff down even if it didn't have anything to do with what she ultimately wanted. Earlier on in the day, Chuck had received a substantial amount of cash from his taxes that allotted the couple to have at least five thousand dollars at their disposal. Deciding that they would jot down what they would spend the money on, Jenny and Chuck sat quietly as they put much thought and consideration on what they viewed as best.

"Are you done yet?" Jenny asked

"Are you?" Chuck asked

"Yes, and I happen to think that as your wife mine should have higher consideration" Jenny stated

"That's cute. Show your list" Chuck replied not paying much attention to what she believed before Jenny showed her list to him while Chuck handed over his.

"All of this stuff pertains to Victrola" Jenny stated

"Victrola does pay the bills around here. I mean if we put money in to the club then we could build our client list and then I can show the investors that we can expand" Chuck told her

"Okay, and while that sounds good. Victrola is running great as is, expanding will lose the personal touch and attention by the owners. Now putting in some renovation into our own place would suit us better because this is a house that we can make suitable then set aside money for a potential house" Jenny said

"A house?" Chuck asked "Have you seen how much real estate costs in New York, let alone Manhattan?" he questioned

"We don't have to get a house but we can get a town house like Dan did" Jenny stated

"Which would be only a minimal step up from what we have now" Chuck told her

"Victrola is our life but I just want some attention put towards our own life. Carter and you share Victrola but I just want something that we share to be our project" Jenny reasoned

"Victrola is our life because it's the main thing paying the bills around here. I can't exactly go to my parents for money and you don't have a job. I think that this has to be our only practical option" Chuck said

"Wait, did you just throw the fact that I'm unemployed in my face?" Jenny asked "Chuck, you said that I didn't need to get a job because you'd be able to support us" she said

"I know but with this money it would help us out so much, and I just don't think you're mature enough to understand the value Victrola…" Chuck began to say

"Okay, I understand. You love Victrola then sleep at Victrola tonight" Jenny said before she got up from her seat "And that's the immaturity in me is showing" she said before she stormed off into the bedroom.

"Nice that we can talk about things, sweetheart" Chuck called out as he sat with his head hung low, knowing that he messed up with his choice of words.

* * *

After a long day of dress rehearsals for the wedding, Blair didn't feel as tired as she thought she would be. Running around, tending to her mother's whim and need, Blair found that it was exciting and fun as opposed to exhausting. Realizing that they both were up for a good cinema release, Dan and Blair had taken off to the Sunshine to watch The Best Years of Our Lives. Though they both felt a bit awkward with the title, the end result had remained the same for them as it always had. Banter and debating about the overall premise and meaning of the movie was all they seemed to discuss as they opted to walk home. Dan being the gentlemen that he was walked Blair back to her home which put him completely out of his way, but Blair knew there was no arguing with him when he was dead set on proving her wrong in their debate. Walking alongside each other, Blair couldn't help but realize that at times their hands had grazed to where it felt like electric shocks going through her body. Blair wanted to view it as mere static but she could never convince herself to believe such things when Dan had always done this to her.

"And in conclusion, that is why the film doesn't register as a top 20 movie" Dan declared

"Okay, now that I've had to endure your long soliloquy. Will you just admit that as a period piece it did really well with conveying it's era?" Blair asked

"Yes because it was made in the forties" Dan replied "Anything could convey something well if they were living in the era of which it happened" he said as they both laughed

"I forgot how spirited our debates were. I just assumed that I always won because you were far less superior than I" Blair teased

"Never. We went tit for tat in every round" Dan smiled "But it's always been a knock down drag out debate session with us" he told her

"Dorota looked happy today. Sometimes I forget that beyond the indentured servitude part of her life that she's actually the second closest thing I have to a mother" Blair smiled

"Yeah, she deserves this more than anybody" Dan said "It's just weird to think that marriage or the idea of it could make you that giddy and excited" he said

"Love in general should do that but it's a whole different type of excited when it comes to marriage" Blair said

"It makes me understand why we weren't ready to get married" Dan said as they shared a look with each other "We loved each other but we weren't ready to devote our whole lives to each other yet" he said

"I don't think it was that, I mean I just don't think we were ready in the sense of timing" Blair replied

"So you were ready to spend your life with me?" Dan asked

"I'm an hopeless romantic, I was ready to do anything that involved you" Blair said as they smiled at each other "But then again that could've been me trying to be your savior in the relationship" she said

"Okay, so I'm confused. If you would've done anything for us then why'd you turn the proposal down?" Dan asked

"Because…we weren't ready. You were in a rut and no logical place to make future promises. Then I was trying to love you back to what you used to be instead of accepting who you were becoming" Blair said

"A bitter, hypocritical, drunk?" Dan asked

"Well the bitter and hypocritical are more your speed but a guy that didn't quite agree with my world or me" Blair said "Which I know sounds bad but it turned out to be good" she said

"How so?" Dan asked

"Humphrey, I never wanted you to conform to my life and I think at times you felt like you had to. I think you felt like you had to make me happy by not disappointing me or lying to me in fear of not being that guy. My world tends to bring out the insecurities in people but it does have the rare moments of sharing the truth as well" Blair said

"What guy wouldn't be afraid of you? I mean you're a strong willed woman and I just couldn't exactly think you'd love every version of me. You fell in love with one version and I wanted to be that…even if I didn't exactly agree with who I had become. I was caught up in supporting you that I just became the yes man at times. I didn't challenge you like we had originally started out as being" Dan said

"See, and this is what I like about us now. We can be brutally honest without offending each other" Blair smiled as Dan opened up the door for her to her building as they walked towards the elevator

"Marriage would've been a mistake then" Dan sighed as they each leaned up against their side of the elevator while they ascended

"Yes, I mean with my work schedule and then yours currently. Our careers wouldn't allow us to enjoy marriage" Blair said as they stepped off the elevator and in to the penthouse

"Which is why I don't' regret pawning the ring" Dan told her as Blair suddenly looked shocked at the statement

"Wait, what?" Blair asked as she quickly turned to face Dan

"I pawned your ring. We had our official break up and I just needed to move on from that notion" Dan told her

"So you pawn something that was supposed to mean something to me?" Blair asked as Dan stood confused

"You rejected my proposal" Dan stated

"I didn't reject it, I just turned it down because we weren't ready at the time" Blair quickly replied as Dan just looked on at her for a moment

"Blair, you couldn't have expected me to keep the ring in hope for the future, could you? Did you?" Dan questioned as Blair didn't exactly know how to answer because she was just so caught off guard by his past action that was effecting her present. Her heart merely froze as she heard that he had pawned away something that did mean something to her even though she didn't want the symbolic meaning of what it represented at the time. Unsure of why she was so bothered with the news, Dan and Blair were quickly interrupted by Louis as he cleared his throat to let them know he was in the living room.

"Louis, what are you doing here?" Blair asked in surprise

"Your maid let me in" Louis said as he got up from his seat and walked over towards the two "Dan" he said as a brief greeting

"Louis" Dan replied "I should get going" he said as he looked at Blair for a few moments to see that she was torn between the two guys before he finally just walked away towards the elevator "Goodnight" he said

"Goodnight Humphrey" Blair sighed before he got on the elevator to leave. Trying to rid herself of the overwhelming thoughts that had just flooded her all at once. Turning her attention away from the elevator, Blair looked on at Louis to see that he had a serious look on his face that only meant that he had heard everything.

"I stopped by hoping to surprise you with something but it appears I'm the only one that got surprised" Louis said

"It's not what you think. Dan and I were just talking about one aspect of our past" Blair sighed

"A part that included marriage" Louis stated

"We were high school sweethearts. I thought we'd be together forever, it was just a thing of the past" Blair sighed

"You seemed a bit hurt about the ring. It was a fair question he asked you, which leaves me wondering why I interrupted" Louis said

"Look, you can't do this. Dan and I share a past…" Blair began to say

"You share a past, you share your mom, you share a connection, you share everything!" Louis replied irritated "When do we get to share something that has nothing to do with him?" he asked as Blair stood silent "I like you Blair. I like you a lot, but it just seems that the only reason you're with me is to get over him and that's becoming clear as day now" he told her

"That's not true" Blair replied

"Is it?" Louis asked

"Yes. I wouldn't do that to you, not after everything you've done for me and shown me" Blair replied

"But I just accept the portion that Dan has of you because he's family" Louis said

"I can't change that" Blair said

"Do you even want to?" Louis asked as a silence came between them "I wanted to surprise you with a romantic evening after the wedding. I got us a room at The Lark because I figured that we were ready for that next step" he said as he placed the envelope down on the table that contained the key card inside "I don't want to share you Blair" he said "Show up tomorrow night and then I'll truly see how you feel" he told her before he turned to walk away.

"Louis" Blair sighed as she didn't want to end the night on a bad not with everyone

"No, just make your decision and stand by it" Louis told her before he boarded the elevator.

* * *

Tossing and turning in the bed, Serena looked over at the empty spot beside her in the bed. Though she had come to enjoy the comforts of having a peaceful night without the arguing and fighting, Serena had felt secluded in this house. It was quite a way out of town, so every trip into town felt like a journey to her as opposed to a mere taxicab away like she was used to growing up. Sitting up in the bed, Serena looked around the darkened room as she could only replay memories of herself laying on the floor feeling pain all over her body as he had just hit her until she felt like she could become numb to it all. Hearing the sound of the doorbell go off downstairs, Serena reluctantly got out of the bed to grab her robe as she got out of the bed. Checking the security cameras, Serena was surprised to see that it was Sean standing outside her door. Immediately going towards the door to open it, Sean looked surprised that she had answered.

"Sean, what are you doing here?" Serena asked "Wait, did Jason send you by?" she then asked after a mere moment of thought

"No, I just came on my own" Sean told her "I came from the gym and I just thought I'd keep coming this direction" he said

"So you traveled twenty minutes out of your way?" Serena questioned

"I'm not that guy" Sean stated

"What guy?" Serena asked in confusion

"I'm not the guy that stays with a girl for sex. I'm the guy that believe he can find one girl and be committed to her, I don't tend to give up easily so maybe I stay longer than I should" Sean said as he nervously played with his hands "I was raised by a single mother so I know the values of treating a woman the way a woman should be treated. I know that a woman deserves to be told she's beautiful often and frequently. I know that a woman is supposed to feel like she can do no wrong when it comes to the one she loves. I know that a woman's heart is something to cherish and take care of by any means possible" he told her

"Why are you telling me this?" Serena asked

"Because…I want you to know that about me" Sean told her

"What else should I know about you?" Serena asked as a silence came between them

"…I really think that I have this whole Denzel Washington look going on" Sean said as Serena just laughed

"You're ridiculous, you know that right" Serena laughed

"I know" Sean smiled "I just didn't like how we ended things today and I didn't want you to stay mad at me" he told her

"I have that effect on you? Enough for you rush over to come make amends with me?" Serena asked as Sean nodded to give her confirmation on the question "Damn, I'm good" she laughed to herself

"I wouldn't push it but you have a bit of me" Sean laughed "Well, I'll let you enjoy whatever it is that you were doing prior to me showing up" he said as he slowly backed away "I will see you tomorrow at the wedding in my nose bleed seats with Rochelle in company" he told her before he turned to walk away while Serena struggled with the idea that was running through her head at this point.

"Do you want to practice your strumming?" Serena called out as Sean turned around to face her "Because you kind of sucked at it last time" she told him

"It was my first time" Sean smiled

"You could be better with a bit of practice, that is if you're pride is not to big to get in the way" Serena teased as he began to walk towards her. Relieving himself of his jacket, Sean draped the jacket over his shoulder as he stopped in front of her to where they were inches away from each other "Can you handle me?" she asked before Sean leaned in towards her

"You have no idea what you just signed yourself up for" Sean whispered to her before he walked past her as he headed inside the house. Laughing at how easy he was, Serena closed the door behind her as she followed behind Sean to the game room.

* * *

The big day had rolled around quicker than they had ever expected. What had turned from a thought had morphed into an actual event that all of the Upper Eastside was vying to be apart of. Everywhere she looked, Blair could see the media trying to get small tidbits from the corporate friends that Eleanor had invited. Dorota hadn't exactly known all the big wigs, but Eleanor figured that if a bunch of rich people wanted to attend a wedding thrown by her in hopes of throwing around money so frivolously for her entertainment than Dorota should benefit from it. Making her way down the hall through the madness that was ice sculptures and flowers that were being tended to by the staff, Blair opened up the bridal room to see that Dorota was standing in front of her mirror. Still unable to take in the sight of how beautiful Dorota looked, Blair's eyes watered as Dorota turned to see that she had made it. Noticing the two of them tearing up, Eleanor tried to busy herself with some things to do so that she too would avoid tearing up like she suspected she would.

"Can we have a moment" Blair told the staff before they obeyed her wishes to where it was Eleanor and Dorota in the room. Walking towards Dorota, Blair stood a few feet away as she wanted to take in this sight of her "I got you something" she said as she pulled the small gift bag out of her purse to hand to her

"You didn't have to Ms. Blair" Dorota smiled

"I did. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to" Blair replied as Dorota opened up the bag to see that it was a pair of diamond earrings "I noticed that you were staring at them for quite some time. You'd never be as bold to buy such a thing but I felt you of all people should buy something that is a clear representation of what you are to this family, but most of all to me" she told her "I may not say this a lot but I love you and I don't know what I'd be without you in my life" she said as tears fell from her eyes before Dorota leaned in to hug her

"Oh, goodness. You guys are going to make me cry with all of this loving and smiling" Eleanor laughed

"You seem to holding up well Ms. Eleanor" Dorota smiled

"I should hope. I wasn't going to back out of this day at no means possible" Eleanor replied "I'm getting to live out my dream" she smiled

"Of planning wedding?" Dorota asked

"No, beginning to repay you for all the countless things you do for me and my family" Eleanor said before she leaned in to hug Dorota

"You make me happiest I've ever been. The both of you" Dorota smiled happily as she held on tight to both Eleanor and Blair before a knock came to the door.

"Yes" Eleanor called out before Tyler popped his head in

"The head of staff wants to speak with you, and the bride is needed for pictures" Tyler told them

"Oh, that's great. I'm sure it's another question about the media" Eleanor sighed "C'mon Dorota, let's take on this madness" she said as the two women linked arm and arm together as they headed out of the room while Tyler stepped aside for them to leave. Noticing that Blair was in thought, Tyler was unsure if he should leave or stay with how lost in thought she seemed to be.

"She did a wonderful thing" Tyler stated as Blair looked over at him "Our mother" he said

"Does that make her a bit likeable in your book now?" Blair asked as Tyler grimaced at her sharp words, which Blair happened to notice as she looked at him "I'm sorry….it's just becoming habit to want to insult you" she said

"I get it" Tyler replied "We're different and we want to remain that way with no conformity coming from any side" he said

"I can agree to that statement" Blair replied as a silence came between them

"I was supposed to get married" Tyler said as Blair looked over at him in confusion as to what he meant "My longtime girlfriend, the one that I killed…we were engaged to be married before we headed off to college together. She had chose the dress but she couldn't afford to buy it, so she saved up all her money to do so but only came to find that she fell in love with another dress" he said

"The one that looked like the dress that our mother wore" Blair concluded

"She would've looked beautiful in it" Tyler smiled weakly

"Do you find it hard to move on from her?" Blair asked after a moment of thought

"Yes" Tyler replied "When you find someone that you truly connect with, it's hard to disconnect from that person" he said

"Even when you know you should move on?" Blair asked

"Especially when you know you should move on" Tyler told her as they looked on at each other "I don't know what exactly is going on with besides what I see…" he began to say

"All of which is annoying to you" Blair sighed

"No…well yes but you're not as annoying anymore. You're tolerable annoying, you're sister annoying" Tyler said "But you're smart, smarter than you realize and I think sometimes that can be your gift and curse when it comes to your life" he said

"What does that mean?" Blair asked

"It means that sometimes your brain can deceive you in the choices that matter the most. Sometimes your heart is the only guide that can get you through" Tyler said "Trust your heart, it won't lead you astray" he told.

"It's a little thing but I let it get the best of me. I have to do what's right for him because he won't if I don't" Blair said keeping it general as to what she was talking about

"I can't change your mind on your decision but I do think you have to ask yourself this…if it's such a small thing that got the best of you, then why did it get to you in any means in the first place" Tyler told her as Blair thought to herself for a moment. Not wanting to seem like he was trying to overwhelm her with his opinions, Tyler made his way over towards the door.

"We shouldn't tell her about this" Blair stated as Tyler turned to look at her

"Definitely not. We wouldn't want her to think we could actually carry on an actual conversation" Tyler smiled

* * *

Dodging any conversation that might've come his way, Nate was more than eager to just come to support Dorota and be around friends more than anything else. Nate's sudden appearance in the spotlight had alerted the media to think that he was ready to address the accusations, which in some part he was but with the semblance of a gag order that was placed on him about his personal life by his family, Nate felt even more secluded with his feelings than anything. Any hope of talking to his father had been through the campaign manager and the staff at the house but nothing in regards to face to face had come for Nate and his father while his mother could barely even look at him without having to busy herself with something that would force her to look away. Nate wanted nothing more than to just enjoy his time outside of the house because inside he felt as if he was just trapped in his own problems that his family wanted no part of. Spotting Chuck all ready in his seat, Nate walked down the aisle to take a seat beside him.

"Where's Jenny?" Nate asked

"I've angered my wife" Chuck sighed

"Well at least you surpassed the time we betted on" Nate joked "What happened?" he asked

"To keep it light and simple, we got money and she wants to do one thing with it while I being the mature one want to do something else with it" Chuck replied

"Oh, so it's a financial issue. Wow, you really are married" Nate laughed

"It's a practical matter that has to be handled the correct way. This isn't something we can just spend so frivolously" Chuck stated

"What did she want to spend the money on?" Nate asked

"She wants to renovate the apartment" Chuck replied as Nate just looked at him

"That's what you're calling not practical?" Nate questioned "What's wrong with that?" he asked

"Because it should go to what brings in the most money in the house, it should go into Victrola" Chuck said

"Oh, I get it. So you think that because Victrola pays the bills that you have to keep feeding the beast in hopes of a big pay off, which in business terms is expansion" Nate concluded

"Exactly" Chuck agreed

"You do know that in all of that scenario, not once was it a joint decision" Nate told him "We're used to money, you even more so. Your used to spending money on the things you like and not having to worry about if people liked it or not, case and point, your scarves" he said

"What was wrong with my scarves?" Chuck asked

"It wasn't exactly trending with the male population of our school but it was something that you wanted and liked. Now that you have to count your pennies in some sense, you have to lose the habit of I spend my money on what I want because now you have to consider what Jenny wants as well" Nate told him "It's not a you thing in anymore in every aspect. Maybe putting money in the apartment is Jenny's way of making it feel like your home that you both share as opposed to the superficial things. Compromise and tranquility is sure to come of it" he told him as Chuck just griped at the fact that Nate was right on the matter

"Okay, I'm officially hating that we ran in to each other. Let's move on to another topic, how'd the family take the news?" Chuck asked

"As expected" Nate sighed "Tripp thinks that I should keep it to myself because I'll cost him the church vote for the senate seat" he said

"And your parents?" Chuck asked

"The Captain won't talk to me and my mother can't look at me" Nate replied

"I'm sorry" Chuck replied

"Don't be. My family is as I expected so it's beyond feeling sorry about" Nate sighed

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to stifle what you want. If you feel like coming out will get all these media hounds off your back, then do so. You trying to please everyone is what lead you to contemplate the unthinkable" Chuck said "Screw them. Do what you want to do" he told his friend.

* * *

The wedding had gone off without a hitch whatsoever and Dorota was beaming from ear to ear to finally marry the one that she loved so. Vanya promised to repay Eleanor in any means possible but each time Eleanor assured him that his money was no good to her because it was a gift to them. The crowd quickly rose to their feet as Dorota and Vanya were announced as they made their way in to the reception hall. A smile could be found in every corner of the room as it was nothing but pure happiness for the couple from those that knew them best.

"And now we ask that Mr. and Mrs. Morozov partake in their first dance as man and wife" The announcer said as Vanya lead Dorota out on to the floor. Smiling as he watched the couple dance together with laughs and smiles appearing on their faces, Dan couldn't help but wish the best for Dorota in that moment and beyond. Looking across the room, Dan's eyes couldn't help but land on Blair as she too smiled on happily at Dorota as she danced. Finding that this was as good as a time as any, Dan got up from his seat and began to make his way over towards Blair. A few couples had gotten up to dance on Dan's journey over to Blair which made it a bit easier for him to carry on with actions.

"May I have this dance?" Dan asked as he extended his hand out towards Blair

"You don't dance Humphrey" Blair said nervously as his eyes seemed to pierce through her

"I think I can pick it up. You can lead if that makes you feel any better" Dan smiled "C'mon, dance with me" he said before Blair finally gave up her head games and just took his hand. Leading her out on to the dance floor, Blair felt butterflies flutter about in her stomach as she was unsure of what to make of this gesture let alone how she was feeling.

**Settle down with me**

**Cover me up**

**Cuddle me in**

**Lie down with me**

**And hold me in your arms**

The distance between them had become obvious to them both but Blair felt as if it was her only defense against what was so unknown to her. Dan smiled to himself as he knew that Blair was probably over thinking the moment more than she should be. In this moment, Dan didn't want her to think, he just wanted her to do what came natural to her. Slowly, inch by inch, Dan closed the distance between them while Blair felt like any bit of privacy had been invaded by the warmth of his touch and the electricity he sent through her. She was in trouble and she knew it.

**And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed in my neck**

**I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet**

**And with a feeling I'll forget, **

**I'm in love now**

Swaying together to the music, Dan intertwined his fingers with hers as she hesitantly rested the side of her cheek up against his. Bodies touching to where every bit of his heartbeat she could feel as if they were naked together for the first time. His palms sweating from the very touch of her and his rapid thought of how not to mess this up. Her breathing had become hard to do as all she could do was take in his scent and enjoy every bit of it. Dan's hand slowly traveled down to the small of her back as he pulled her closer to him. Any bit of space had served useless as they drifted in to each other.

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**This feels like falling in love **

**Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**

Blair was sure that others were dancing beside them but it didn't matter because she felt as if she was fading away on a cloud with only them occupying it. Rubbing her cheek up against his, Blair remembered the numerous times where his touch was all she needed to relieve herself of any clothing that appeared to be on her body. His touch was her kryptonite and she swore it was times like this where she swore he knew it and decided to take advantage of it. Their hands fit perfectly, Blair began to notice as she looked down at them. She had to stay strong, she had to be smart, she kept saying to herself as the seduction of dancing with Dan was beginning to get to her.

**Settle down with me**

**And I'll be your safety**

**You'll be my lady**

**I was made to keep your body warm**

**But I'm cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms**

Her eyes closed as she found herself sinking in to his body as they continued to dance. Blair could've sworn that the music had changed but it didn't matter because the trance they were in, nothing else seemed to matter but them. Moving her cheek up against his, Blair turned to look towards his neck as she wanted nothing more than to kiss him sweetly in the spots she knew he loved to kissed in. The spots that let him know that she too could seduce him like he was doing to her. Resting her forehead up against his cheek, Blair fought the urge with every bit of fight in her.

**Oh noMy heart's against your chest, your lips pressed in my neck**

**I'm falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet**

**And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now**

Their hands traveled freely down each other's bodies as if they were trying to remember the outline in their heads for ages to come. Any form of touch would serve their appetites that they were growing to have of each other. It wasn't sex but it felt like it with the way their bodies moved in unisons with each other. Gaining the courage, Blair pulled her head back slowly to where her forehead was resting softly against his lips as he placed a sweet kiss on it. There was a part of her that wanted to tell him to stop but words couldn't escape her at this point because her body was screaming for him to continue his journey of her.

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**This feels like falling in love **

**Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**

Placing his cheek up against hers, Dan took the moment to take her in as he swore that she was as intoxicating as she ever was to him. Moving slowly, Dan realized that their lips were only a mere centimeter away from each other. Biting down on her lip, Dan could see that Blair was fighting every urge in her to succumb to him, which was fine but Dan was glad to see that he could still get to her without it having to involve a sexual manner. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Dan held her close to him as if she were his favorite teddy bear on stormy night.

**Yeah I've been feeling everything **

**From hate to love**

**From love to lust From lust to truth I guess that's how I know you**

**So I hold you close to help you give it up **

Their lips lightly brushed against each other as it sent immediate shocks through their bodies and a reminder that they were teetering over the line. Blair wanted to kiss him so badly that her body nearly felt like it was screaming out for her to make some sort of action. Mocking her and insulting her, Blair could only imagine what else her body was doing without her being able to fully defend herself with the fight against temptation Humphrey. Playing as if their lips hadn't touched in the slightest of way, Dan and Blair pressed their foreheads up against each other as they both took deep breaths to self manage what was going on between them individually.

**So kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**This feels like falling in love Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**

Seeing that her eyes were closed, Dan wanted to invade her thoughts to get some clue as to what she was thinking about. Dan had hoped that she was thinking about him, thinking about how they could be so electric without it having to get to the true sexual aspects. His forehead pressed against hers, Dan couldn't continue to fight as his curiosity was getting the best of him in this moment. Slower than he had ever moved, Dan leaned in slowly to kiss her sweetly. Their lips parted as they both kept their eyes shut, promising that this was just a dance and nothing more, once the music ended they would go back to their separate corners to cool off. Licking her lips to take in his taste, Blair swore that if she had one more taste that she would make it her last. Leaning in, Blair kissed his softly against the lips and as promise she swore that it would be her last. Opening his eyes, Blair could feel his eyes burning in to her as they swayed with each other while they thoughts swayed back and forth. Leaning in once more, Dan found that he was met by Blair's lips as she parted her lips for his tongue enter. Their tongues massaged against each other before he deepened the kiss. Blair's hands took on a mind of their own as they ran through his hair aimlessly as she tilted her head to give him greater access. Finally realizing what was going on, Blair ripped away from his lips as they both looked on in shock at each other. Shake her head, Blair quickly ran off while Dan wasted no time in going after her.

**Kiss me like you wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**You wanna be loved**

**This feels like falling in love Falling in love**

**We're falling in love**

* * *

Pushing the side door open, Blair made her way down the hallway before she found herself trying to choose between the door straight ahead and the door to the right of her. Hating that once again she had a decision to make, Blair groaned in frustration as she knew she only had a few seconds before Dan would catch up to her. Choosing the door straight ahead, Blair pushed it open and was glad to see that she was in the alley way where no media was around to hound her about anything. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Blair knew that she hadn't walked fast enough to be out of breath but from the make out session that she had with Dan on the dance floor. Kicking herself, Blair began to pace the floor before she heard the door open up to no doubt reveal that it was Dan.

"Blair" Dan said as he walked up to her

"Get away Humphrey" Blair replied as she stopped her pacing

"Can we talk?" Dan asked

"What is there to talk about?! You lied to me" Blair exclaimed

"About what?" Dan asked

"You said you were moving on and that back there wasn't moving on…it was moving forward towards my lips" Blair said as she began to pace "I bet you even got a room, thinking that...I don't know, but I bet you did it. Did you?!" she asked

"And is that such a bad thing?" Dan questioned as Blair looked at disbelief

"I was grasping for anything but I didn't actually think you'd confirm it" Blair replied as she was shocked to hear that Dan didn't deny that he wasn't moving on like he had claimed "Oh, my God! I'm a cheater. I've become a habitual cheater" she said to herself as she began to pace

"We didn't cheat" Dan said

"We just kissed and I have a boyfriend or someone that I'm dating. We cheated, there's no other way to see it as" Blair told him

"I see it as two people that are fooling themselves in to thinking that they're over each other when they're not" Dan replied

"Don't do that!" Blair replied

"I never said I was going to move on, you assumed I would. I have and still have always wanted no one but you" Dan told her

"I can't hear this right now" Blair began to panic

"Because why? What is so wrong about us? What is so wrong about me loving you?" Dan asked

"Because you said you would move on!" Blair yelled as a silence came between them

"Last night, you got upset about the ring…it was like you wanted me to keep it for the future. You said it meant something to you…" Dan began to say

"I just never thought you'd get so desperate that you'd have to pawn that item of all things" Blair reasoned

"It shouldn't matter because if you weren't interested in marrying me then it shouldn't have mattered" Dan said "Less in case you were. Less in case you were hoping that we'd take this time to get ourselves right before eventually going towards marriage" he said as he watched her become more nervous by the second

"What do you want to hear from me?" Blair questioned

"The truth" Dan replied "I'm not going to break without you but I know that I can't love anyone else the way I love you. Blair, I know that I was a mess before but that was my issue not yours. That was my insecurity that got the best of us. Did I need to grow up? Yes, there's no doubt to that and I still have growing to do but growing up doesn't mean you have to kick the old out to welcome in the new. It just means you get wiser and smarter in life and in love. I can be a better man but most of all, I can be the man I always knew I could be, then man you knew I was. I don't need to be with other women to know that you're the one I want, you're the one I've always wanted" he told her as tears welled up in her eyes

"I have to go" Blair said after a silence came between them

"Waldorf" Dan said

"I have to go because this...I can't do this" Blair said before she eventually turned to run off.

* * *

Spotting her talking with a few of the women from the debutant board, Chuck sat on his stool at the bar as he couldn't help but stare. Hating that they couldn't even manage to enjoy a wedding due to their disagreement, Chuck found that he was caving in. Wanting to hear her laugh or just be around to talk with her about any thing and everything, Chuck put his drink down so that he could wave his white flag in this argument. Making his way over towards her, Jenny saw that the women around her were moving on to another area as Jenny just looked on at her husband. Standing in front of her, Chuck waited a moment to gage her reaction to him before a slight smile came from her. Taking that as a sign that she had missed him too, Chuck took a seat beside her as they both couldn't help but smile in the near presence of each other while they sat and looked on at the people dancing on the dance floor.

"Did you have fun sleeping at Victrola?" Jenny asked as she broke the silence

"I made a mental note to get another sofa in the office if that's what you're wondering" Chuck replied before Jenny turned towards him to rest her hand on his legs "I'm sorry" he told her

"So willingly, I'm shocked. I thought I was gonna have to hold out longer with you" Jenny smirked

"I was prepared to but then I kind of miss certain miniature things about you" Chuck said

"Miniature" Jenny laughed "Like what?" she asked as she leaned in closer towards him

"Well, you smell nice in the morning" Chuck said as they both laughed

"Why thank you Mr. Bass" Jenny laughed

"Then you sort of have this whole sex appeal thing going for you, it's…it's good, very good" Chuck told her

"So you think I'm sexy?" Jenny asked as Chuck grinned from ear to ear

"Possibly. Possibly. I mean it works in your favor when you're naked, it just inspires me to become naked as well. Oh, you can add inspiring to the list of things" Chuck continued on

"Chuck" Jenny said in between laughs

"Then there's this fact that I'm kind of crazy about you…but that's a miniature details of course" Chuck said as they leaned in to kiss. Letting the kiss linger a bit, Chuck broke it as he rested his forehead up against hers "I haven't been in the position to handle money responsibly. It's been a short time period but I'm always used to spending it on things I want as opposed to things for other people, if so it was unlimited amount" he told her

"I know that this whole middle class…" Jenny began to say

"Don't say middle class" Chuck said as he wasn't quite sure he could handle the word

"Middle class living" Jenny stated "I know that it's new for you but it won't hurt you to live a little and splurge. I appreciate how you provide for us and take care of me, you've become the man I always knew you could be and a perfect husband" she told him

"I promise that with this money we will buy something we both want and agree on, whether it be Victrola or investing in our home together. I just want the end result for us to be happy" Chuck said as he intertwined their hands together

"Good" Jenny smiled "So that means we could possibly invest in lingerie or something of that nature?" she asked as Chuck smiled

"That'd be good for our long term future. Very, very good" Chuck said as Jenny leaned in to kiss him

* * *

Taking a sip from his drink as he just sat looking out towards the dance floor at the reception, Sean couldn't help but feel like maybe the elite group wasn't that bad after all. Growing up, nothing was ever handed to him so he was in the mindset that the silver spooned kids were his enemies because they didn't share his beliefs. Sitting, taking in all those that he'd seed on newspapers and magazines under fortune five hundred deals, Sean saw that they were actually down to earth people or strived to be. Looking over his shoulder to see if Rochelle still sat behind him as her efforts to get him to dance had waned by the minute, Sean saw that she had disappeared as he suspected. Loosening up his tie, Sean finished off his drank as he could only imagine the argument that they were going to get in to. As he began to loosen up his tie, Sean couldn't help but notice Serena and Jason dancing together. The media ate it up as it was finally confirmed that the two media heavy people were in fact a couple. Sean could only imagine the type of couple names that were going to get thrown at them, which only seemed to bother him more than what he all ready was. Joining his friend at the table, Tyler placed another drink for both Sean and him on the table as he couldn't help but notice that Sean was staring off into a particular direction.

"You know it's okay to like this world" Tyler said as Sean broke away from his trance

"What do you mean?" Sean asked

"You play basketball for the city, you're practically becoming a celebrity in your own slow progressed way. It's okay to like the people that encompass this world" Tyler said

"Do you have a change of heart or something?" Sean asked with a bit of a laugh

"Maybe. I'm just beginning to see that my family is a part of this world and I might need to find a way to fit in" Tyler said as he took a sip from his drink

"Personal growth, I like that" Sean laughed

"Where's your girl?" Tyler asked

"She is probably mad with me and cursing my name in every language she can think of" Sean laughed to himself

"And you don't go after her? That's not like you" Tyler reasoned

"Yeah, I know. I just think that maybe it's time that I decide what I want with Rochelle and I. She's a great girl and I haven't been putting in the effort I need to" Sean sighed

"If you have to put forth effort with a girl then maybe it's because you don't want her to begin with" Tyler concluded

"I want her. I've had her, so therefore I want her" Sean replied

"Sex doesn't always equate to love" Tyler replied "Maybe you stick with Rochelle because it's the right thing to do and your mom always preached to do the right thing" he said

"My mom can barely find a decent guy, the right thing needs to be done" Sean laughed "What are you getting at in your roundabout way Dr. Phil?" he asked

"I just think that maybe you're with Rochelle because you can't have what you really want" Tyler said as he looked over at Serena and Jason

"And what's that?" Sean asked wanting to hear Tyler's conclusion

"Because you want her" Tyler said as he motioned for Sean to look over at Serena "You like this world, but you especially like one girl in it" he said as Sean couldn't help but feel like a truth had been exposed to him.

* * *

**_[Earlier in the Day]_**

_The quiet sounds of the elevator ascending rang loudly in his ear in the strangest of ways. Leaning up against the wall of the elevator, his hands dug deep in his pockets as stature showed he had no care in the world. Hearing the final ding of the elevator to let him know that he had arrived, the doors opened up to show that the office was like a graveyard as she had told him prior to him coming over. Walking through the office, he turned towards her office to see that she was sitting at her desk working diligently as she had always been at this time of night but he knew better than to just assume she was doing the normal task of working. Looking up at him, a smile came to her face as she could finally see that he was catching on to what had to be done. Entering the office, he closed the door behind him before he walked over to take a seat in front of her desk. Propping his feet up on the desk, he reached over to grab the apple that she had set aside for herself before he took a bite out of it._

_"What do I need to do?" Louis asked_

**I let it fall, my heart,**

**And as it fell you rose to claim it**

**It was dark and I was over**

**Until you kissed my lips and you saved me**

Making his way through the crowd of people as they exit the hotel, Nate could hear the sounds of camera's flashing as he tried to walk towards his car. Reporters yelling out questions, wanting to hear some sort of news as to what was going on with the political campaign and his family, Nate's gut instinct was to avoid all questions. Walking towards his car, Nate was just about to enter before he realized that it had begun to rain. Looking up at the droplets of water falling down on him, Nate took the rain in as he felt in some odd way he was being cleansed of his burden that he wore on his shoulders. Rushing over towards Nate, a reporter with camera crew in tow immediately fired off questions.

"Nate, Nate. Is it true? Are you a part of the prostitution ring that involves Counselman Hendricks?" The reporter asked sticking a microphone in Nate's face. It was a moment of prolonged silence that Nate was sure that looked and smelled of him being guilty.

"Yes. I was a part of the prostitution ring but not involving Counselman Hendricks" Nate stated as flash bulbs went off while other reporters began to swarm around him.

**My hands, they're strong**

**But my knees were far too weak,**

**To stand in your arms**

**Without falling to your feet**

_[…you get a room. Tell her that you're planning a romantic evening and that you truly care for her unlike any girl you've ever cared for. Force her to make a decision]_

Walking towards the room, Blair looked down at the key card to make sure that it was correct in what she was reading. Taking a deep breath, Blair reached up to knock on the door. It took a moment but the door had not yet opened. Going back and forth in her mind, Blair began to question her decision or if she was acting off of fear rather than what her heart truly wanted. Just as she turned to leave, the door opened up to show that Louis was standing on the other side of the door. Feeling as if she had no chance to turn back, Blair breathed a sigh of relief as she couldn't help but feel the comfort of his smile. Without a moments worth of thought, Blair leaned forward to capture his lips with hers as they backed in to the room making sure to close the door behind them.

**But there's a side to you**

**That I never knew, never the things you'd say**

**They were never true, never true,**

**And the games you play**

**You would always win, always win.**

His heart raced at a thousand miles per hour as he hunched over to catch his breath after an intense workout. Wiping the sweat from his face, Sean enjoyed the seclusion of being in the gym at night time as it was his only place to think. Looking over at the basketball net, Sean couldn't help but be flooded with memories of when she was in here with him. A moment where it was just so easy to be around her than it was to be around other girls.

**[Flashback]**

**Beginning to stir awake from his sleep, Sean felt a warmth on his chest as his eyes fluttered open. Realizing that he had fallen asleep in Jason's game room, Sean motioned to get up but realized that Serena was resting her head on his chest as she was deep in a slumber. Noticing that a loose strand of hair draped over her face, Sean felt compelled to brush it away like it was something he had to do. Tucking it behind her ear, Sean got lost in her beauty as the Serena appeal that he swore that he hadn't come over was finally starting to seep in with him. Though he was nowhere near tired, Sean laid back as he wrapped the blanket around her as he pulled her close to him. Rubbing her arm as she slept, Sean felt more inclined to let her sleep than to move an inch away from the sleeping beauty.**

**[End of Flashback]**

Throwing the basketball at the wall, Sean kneeled down to his knees as he was in complete and utter disbelief. Clenching his eyes shut, Sean did his best to rid her from his thoughts but it had become useless at this point.

"Dammit!" Sean cursed as he finally began to realize he broke the number one rule of looking out for another man's woman. He had began to fall for her.

**But I set fire to the rain,**

**Watched it pour as I touched your face,**

**Well, it burned while I cried**

**'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!**

_[…being naïve as she is, she pretend that she wants you. That's she's honestly ready to make that step with you. But in the last possible moment, she'll begin to realize the magnitude of her actions]_

Breaking the kiss, Blair quickly pushed Louis off of her as he sat back on the sofa. Taking in the sight of how far she had gone with her dress undone in the back while his chest remain bare. Blair felt her lips as she felt some bit of relief that they hadn't gone all the way but had just kissed heavily. It was in that moment that she knew that she couldn't go through with this, not when it'd only be out of fear of what was truly lingering in her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked on at Louis, Blair hated that she had played with his emotions but she just couldn't stop herself from feeling the way she did.

"I have to go with my heart, I have to go with my heart" Blair babbled as the sudden rush of thoughts came to her as she remembered Tyler's words "I still love him. I know that you're a great guy and deep down I'm attracted to you but…I love Dan. I'd be lying to you if I said that I saw a future with us or even a short term one because my future has always and will always be with Dan" she cried

"It's okay" Louis told her as he tried to calm her "I've known for the longest, I guess I was just waiting for you to say it" he said

"I'm so sorry" Blair cried

"Don't worry. I'll heal" Louis smiled weakly as he got up from the sofa to head over towards the bar. Pouring the green liquid in to a glass before combining it with the vodka he had. Louis poured another glass with just the vodka before he walked over with the drinks in hand. "You probably need this more than I do" he said handing her the drink

"You're probably right. I feel like a complete wreck" Blair sighed as she took the glass that contained the green liquid.

**When I lay with you**

**I could stay there**

**Close my eyes**

**Feel you here forever**

**You and me together**

**Nothing is better**

Looking back at the sleeping Chuck, Jenny leaned over to kiss him on the cheek before she reached over to grab her robe to cover her naked frame. Wrapping it around her body before she grabbed her cell phone, Jenny headed in to the bathroom before she closed the door behind her. Seeing that she had a missed call from the pharmacy on her phone, Jenny looked a bit confused as she looked on at her phone. Bringing the phone up to her ear as she listened on to her messages.

"Hello Jenny, this is Alyssa from your local pharmacy. I was calling in regards to your prescription of Yaz, the birth control the doctor ordered for you. It shows that you've gone months without it but have stayed with pain medication that the doctor subscribed. I just wanted to know if you still need the Yaz, if so then you need to go in to the doctor to get another prescription for it since you haven't been using it" Alyssa said before Jenny hung up. Quickly opening up the medicine cabinet, Jenny reached out to grab her birth control bottle. Pulling one of the pills out, Jenny looked on at it closely to see the initials on the pills before she looked on at the description listed on the bottle to realize that they weren't matching up.

**'Cause there's a side to you**

**That I never knew, never knew,**

**All the things you'd say,**

**They were never true, never true,**

**And the games you play**

**You would always win, always win.**

_[….make sure you put enough in the glass for her to take in the absinthe. When she starts to feel a bit woozy, then she'll be ready for the big finale._

Finishing off her glass, Blair placed her glass on the table as she took a moment to compose herself. Her head felt a bit dizzy but she felt relaxed and soothed. No worries had flooded her head or plagued with future problems of anything. Noticing how relaxed she was as a smile broke from her face, Louis put his barely sipped glass on to the table. Looking over at the dresser, Louis looked back to see that Blair was a mere centimeter away from him.

"So about that attraction you have to me?" Louis asked as Blair smiled at him devilishly before she sat up on the sofa. Sliding the straps of her dress down over her shoulders, Blair let the dress fall freely over her frame to reveal her bra before she got up to step out of her dress to reveal her lacy underwear.

"Does this explain all that you need to know?" Blair asked a bit woozy as Louis just smiled as Blair extended her hand out to him to attempt to lead him over towards the bed but he had pulled her back

"I think I like it here" Louis whispered to her before he kissed her in an animalistic manner.

**But I set fire to the rain,**

**Watched it pour as I touched your face,**

**Well, it burned while I cried**

**'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!**

Tossing his keys over on to the table as he entered his apartment, Dan sighed as he received his confirmation e-mail that his room was cancelled. Flopping down on the sofa, Dan looked on at his phone once more to see that he had another message on his phone. Putting the phone on speakerphone, Dan got up from his seat to head in to the kitchen as his phone played the messages that he had. Not really paying attention towards the messages that he was hearing, Dan leaned over to grab a bottle of water.

"Hi Daniel, my name is Alessandra Steele. I was calling in regards to a manuscript that you sent in. I wanted to know if you'd be interested in representation as I would like to sign you to Simon and Schuster. Call me back so we can set up a meeting and discuss this potential diamond you have on your hand here" Alessandra said as Dan stood in complete shock of the news. A smile quickly came to his face as he ran around the living room in celebration. Grabbing his phone, Dan quickly dialed the only person that he could think of sharing this news with.

"Blair, hey, it's me. I know you're mad and I know that we'll get past this but I have amazing news. I just got a call from a Alessandra Steele and she's interested in publishing one of my manuscripts I sent in. Don't worry it's not another tell all but I just…I had to tell you. You're the only person…you're the only person I wanted to tell this too" Dan babbled "I'm coming over, maybe we can talk or something but I hope your happy for me" he said before he ended the call. Taking a moment to look at the phone, Dan quickly walked over to grab his keys as he was going to talk to Blair whether she wanted to hear him out or not.

**I set fire to the rain**

**And I threw us into the flames**

**Where it felt something die**

**'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time!**

_[….any morals or inhibitions she had will go the wayside. So who knows lover boy, you might actually get your kicks off with her on this night of reckless abandonment]_

**Sometimes I wake up by the door,**

**That heart you caught must be waiting for you**

**Even now when we're already over**

**I can't help myself from looking for you.**

Washing her face, Serena splashed water on to her face before she reached over to grab her towel to dry her face off. Just as she was beginning to reach for her towel, Serena felt something clamp on to the back of her head before her face was submerged in to the water. Gasping for air as she flailed about with only screams escaping her mouth. Serena felt the weight lift off of her as she turned to see that Jason was standing behind her. Before she had time to react, Jason quickly slapped her across the face causing her to fall to the floor. As she fell, Jason hovered over as he just shouted and yelled at her.

"You son of a bitch!" Jason yelled "You go behind my back to that bitch of a mother of yours, knowing that she doesn't like me. You betray me and what I've done for you!" he yelled as she tried to fend him off

"I didn't" Serena cried

"You did, I have the pictures to prove it" Jason yelled before he began to kick her in the stomach furiously "You stupid bitch!" he yelled as he kicked harder and harder until he began to punch at her head. "No one understand what we have but you throw that all away" he shouted as he continued his assault while all she could do was cough up blood. "You belong to me" he said as he gave one final kick before he started to gasp for air. Looking on at Serena laying on the floor, Jason felt his anger hadn't even reached it's boiling point. Grabbing the toothbrush holder, Jason threw it against the glass mirror as the glass shattered to the floor. Crying out in pain, Serena brought her hand to her face as she felt the cut on her face.

**I set fire to the rain,**

**Watched it pour as I touched your face,**

**Well, it burned while I cried**

**'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name**

_[...you'll feel guilty at first, but hey, you got your rocks off. You're due for a night of wreckless abandonment, something to get the blood pumping...reward for being so patient with my 're not in this to play martyrs, we do the job and protect ourselves. You can't bite the hand that feeds. There is one thing you must remember to do after it's all said and done...]_

Walking towards his desk, Tyler shifted his book bag to the side as he took a seat at his desk. Wanting to upload his story before the deadline tomorrow, Tyler wanted to be in and out of the office so that he could catch up with Eleanor. It had been a new feeling for him to want to be around his mother so much, but Tyler knew that the only way he was going to get answers as to who he was would have to be through getting to know his family. Waiting for his story to upload, Tyler looked on at his desk to see that he had an envelope addressed to him. Looking around curiously, Tyler picked the envelope up to pull the letter out of it that was concealed inside. Seeing the letterhead, Tyler was surprised to see that his wish was finally coming true but the guilt of it plagued him because he knew that it was at the cost of The Archibald family but mostly Nate. Tossing the letter on to the table as he couldn't even manage to enjoy the moment he had waited for since arriving in New York.

"Now I get my shot with The Los Angeles Times" Tyler sighed as he looked on at the paper

**I set fire to the rain,And I threw us into the flames**

**Where it felt something die**

**'Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, ohhhh!**

**Oh nooooLet it burn, oh**

**Let it burn**

**Let it burn**

_[...don't forget to grab the video. Presentation is everything" Bex said as a smile slowly came to her face before Louis turned to look out at the New York Skyline "Remember, we owe The Madame everything" she reminded him as she just became a soundtrack to his thoughts]_

* * *

Stirring awake from her slumber, Blair could feel the touch of the sheets against her naked frame. Her eyes slowly fluttered open to see that the curtains were open. Looking on skeptically at the curtains, Blair began to register the fact that the curtains in her room looked different than she had remembered them last. Quickly sitting up in the bed, Blair quickly realized that she wasn't in her room and she wasn't clothed at all. Running her hand through her hair, Blair did her best to recollect just what exactly happened last night. Getting up from the bed, Blair wrapped the sheet around her body as she walked around what was obviously the Plaza hotel suite. Gathering that she was drinking Vodka last night as she saw the two glasses and the bottle sitting on the table, Blair could only imagine hoe she pounded the alcohol. Maybe Dan and I came up here to talk or something then things went a little further? she thought to herself as she continued to walk around. Continuing to look around for some sort of a clue, Blair looked down at the floor to see a condom wrapper was on the floor which took away any slim doubt she had that she had sex with Dan. Why would Dan leave without sticking behind? Why wouldn't stay behind to talk or something? Blair asked herself as she continued to look around the room before her eyes landed on the note that was on the bed. A smile coming to her face uncontrollably on how predictable Dan was, Blair walked over to grab the folded note to read it.

"Making love to you last night was well worth the wait...Louis" Blair read to herself as she stood in shock. Tears welled up in her eyes as she was in total disbelief by it all. Falling to her knees, Blair cried as she knew that with that single night, she may have ruined any chance of getting back together with Dan.

**How the Madness Only Just Begun...**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter**

**Bruno Mars- Marry You**

**Ed Sheeran- Kiss Me**

**Adele- Set Fire to the Rain**

**Author's Note: So this chapter was definitely crazy. I think every character has moved forward towards the climax part of their stories. **

**Dair- Just some more angst to throw at you guys. To explain so you guys don't get too freaked out. Blair didn't sleep with Louis nor did they have sex. Louis made it seem like they did so that Blair would believe that they did. Soon you guys will learn what Bex and Louis are up to completely and their ties to The Madame. The Madame will make an appearance.**

**Nate- Nate will take on an interesting role when it comes to dealing with his family and his accepting that he is gay. **

**Chuck/Jenny- Jenny's discovery will lead to a storm ahead for the couple.**

**Serena/Jason/Sean- Note that there are certain things that Jason says to Serena that should sound familiar to you GG watchers [Chuck's lines that he's said to Blair on the tv show] I'll explain it further in coming chapters. But note that the connotation in which they're used doesn't take away from how possessive they sound.**


	19. The Empire Strikes Back

**Author's Note: Hey everyone. Thank you all for you reviews/feedback. I greatly appreciate it and am fearful that some of you have become so addicted. Lol. There is three more chapters left, I'm going to officially declare that. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I hope to hear some feedback on it.**

* * *

**Answers to Questions:**

**How often do you update? When do you put up new chapters?: I have all ready written the whole story out, but I tweak some things when things pop up or I feel like it's getting to predictable. So mostly I rework chapters and tweak here and there. So it could be every other day to three days tops for an update. If it's longer than that it's because I'm uber busy with school and running behind my neice with her school and stuff.**

**If you guys have question, please feel free to ask, I have no problem with answering. I also want to thank you guys for leaving some awesome messages, I greatly appreciate the encouraging words.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Eighteen- Empire Strikes Back**

* * *

**I'm a phoenix in the water**

**A fish that's learnt to fly**

**And I've always been a daughter**

**But feathers are meant for the sky**

**So I'm wishing, wishing further**

**For the excitement to arrive**

**It's just I'd rather be causing the chaos**

**Than laying at the sharp end of this knife**

Walking towards the mirror, Blair looked on at herself as she hooked the back of her bra together. For a moment, she stopped to look on at herself as she could see the red stained lips to see that they had been kissed, the hickey that was on her neck that she probably enjoyed in the heat of the moment. Every bit of evidence of last night was beginning to show up in the worst of ways. Tears welled up in her eyes once more as she could feel any bit of hope that she'd get to set things straight in her life in regards to her relationship had gone. Looking away from her reflection in the mirror, Blair quickly scurried around the hotel room trying to get herself together so she could beat the daylight and possibly being seen by anyone she knew.

**With every small disaster**

**I'll let the waters still**

**Take me away to some place real**

**'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone**

**Where you go when you're alone**

**Is where you go to rest your bones**

**It's not just where you lay your head**

**It's not just where you make your bed**

**As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?**

**Home**

**Home**

Laying on the floor, Serena eyes slowly began to flutter open as she began to come to. Blurred vision was all that she could see as the pains of a headache plagued her. Unsure as to how she ended up at the bottom of the staircase, Serena could only conclude that it had been one of those nights. The worst of the nights if she was being completely honest. Slowly sitting up, Serena felt surges of pain shoot through her body as moving just became the hardest of things. Sliding over towards the wall so she could sit up against it, Serena was finally able to take in all the damage that he had done in his fit of anger. Sofas were disheveled, beer stains were on the walls, glass was broken, television broken, and magazines or articles of her were ripped to shreds. Just by glance, Serena would think that she was the source to all his anger just by the pictures she saw of her laying on the floor. Tears fell partially as one of her eyes were swollen shut from the hits he placed on her. Shaking nervously as she brought her knees up to her chest, Serena felt overwhelmed and frightened.

**So when I'm ready to be bolder,**

**And my cuts have healed with time**

**Comfort will rest on my shoulder**

**And I'll bury my future behind**

**I'll always keep you with me**

**You'll be always on my mind**

**But there's a shining in the shadows**

**I'll never know unless I try**

Finishing up the final touches of her appearance, Blair nervously reached in to her purse to apply lipstick to her lips. Given much time to think, Blair had thought over her plan of denial that she would carry out. Heading back towards the mirror that was once her perception of truth, Blair took a deep breath and began to repeat her train of thought that she had come up with. Maybe I chose to sleep with Louis because deep down I know there's something between us? Maybe this was the step I needed to take to get over Dan? Maybe I was the one holding on to Dan and this was me finally breaking free so that he could? She thought to herself and in each answer she confirmed her suspicions with only positive reinforcement. Putting her lipstick away in her purse, Blair took a deep breath before she finally proclaimed herself ready for her day.

**With every small disaster**

**I'll let the waters still**

**Take me away to some place real**

**'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone**

**Is where you go when you're alone**

**Is where you go to rest your bones**

**It's not just where you lay your head**

**It's not just where you make your bed**

**As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?**

**Home**

Trying to stifle her sobs, Serena did her best to keep her cries to a minimum sound so that she wouldn't anger him again. Serena sobbed so much that she began to shake uncontrollably as her thought process was all over the place. In her mind, Serena knew that this wasn't a good situation that she was in, that something was wrong but in her mind she knew that if she would've been honest from the beginning then he wouldn't be as upset. Over and over, Serena replayed the things that could've gone wrong and she finally realized that she was to blame for why Jason was upset the way he was. Just as she began to accept her part in this, Jason came rushing out of the game room just pacing the floor in panic. Looking over at Serena, Jason and Serena looked at each for a few moments as he could see Serena shaking.

"I'm sorry" Serena muttered through the tears "I didn't mean to hurt you…" she cried

"You did this to me…you know how I am" Jason reasoned as he softly spoke

"I know" Serena said as she shook her head in agreement

"But you have to help me, we have to help each other. That's the only way this relationship is going to work" Jason said as he walked towards her "I love you, I do this because I love you and I'm fighting to keep us. If ever you should doubt my love or yourself, just know that I'm Jason Peters and I love you….that's all that should matter with you" he said as he kneeled down to look her in the eyes as she shook her head in agreement "I need your help" he then told her

**'Cause they say home is where your heart is set in stone**

**Where you go when you're alone**

**Is where you go to rest your bones**

**It's not just where you lay your head**

**It's not just where you make your bed**

**As long as we're together, does it matter where we go?**

**Home**

* * *

Getting out of the taxi, Blair was immediately greeted by the building staff that she had become accustomed to seeing. Giving her thanks to the doorsman, Blair made her way inside the building as she made an immediate bee line towards the elevator. Boarding the elevator, Blair quickly pushed the penthouse elevator button before the doors closed on her. Finally buying in to her train of thought that she had rehearsed the whole way over, Blair looked on at the Gossip Girl site to make sure that she hadn't been spotted. Breathing a sigh of relief that no one had seen her, Blair could only see last night as nothing more than a natural progression in a relationship that she was in regardless if she didn't act like it at times. Stepping off the elevator, Blair made her way through the foyer to look over to see Dan asleep on the sofa. Going in to a fit of panic, Blair hadn't equated in the fact that Dan would be the first person she'd see upon coming home. Trying to tip toe pass the living room, Blair was caught off guard to hear Dan begin to stir awake.

"Blair, is that you?" Dan asked a bit groggy as Blair silently cursed herself for not moving quick enough. Sitting up on the sofa, Dan rubbed his eyes as he looked over at the clock "It's seven in the morning" he said

"Yes, I was just coming back in to grab something for work. I was just on my way to work" Blair quickly replied "But now that I think about it…I think I may call out. Get a bit of rest…alone" she told him

"Did you come home last night?" Dan asked

"Uh….yes. I saw you laying here and I didn't want to awake you" Blair told him "What are you doing here?" she smiled nervously

"Didn't you hear my message?" Dan asked as he walked over towards her

"Message?" Blair asked as she busied herself with looking at her phone to realize that she completely missed seeing that he had called "Oh, look you did call" she said noticing that the time was during a time in which she was probably sexing it up with Louis

"So are you going to congratulate me?" Dan asked

"Yes…on what though?" Blair asked as she did her best to play the message while he looked on at her

"On the fact that I got a publicist…Blair, someone is interested in one of my books" Dan told her excitedly as the guilt set in even more while Blair tried to keep a straight face. "I'm doing it, I'm growing up here" he told her

"I'm happy for you Dan" Blair smiled weakly as Dan went back and forth on whether he should move in to get his hug that he expected from her

"Is everything all right? You look a little frazzled or something" Dan asked as he looked at her.

"No, I'm good. I'm just trying to find my thing…for work" Blair said

"Your thing, what thing are you looking for exactly? because it's not like you to just run off and forget things" Dan asked

"Things Dan" Blair replied becoming irritated with him "You can't do this Humphrey, you can't just hang around the house like its yours or something….you should call or something" she said trying her best to get rid of him so that she could get back to a normal heart rate

"I did call. I called you and left a voicemail which you can hear on the voicemail if you listened" Dan replied

"Well, you should come over when I answer and confirm it" Blair told him

"Okay, what's really going on?! I feel like you're trying to pick a fight over something as trivial as me coming over to the penthouse, when that's been my whole thing since day one with us…" Dan began to say

"Don't say us. I don't want to hear about us!?" Blair replied as she covered her ears

"Fine, I won't but don't try to pick a fight with me. If you want to discuss something, then just tell me. I'm a big boy, I can take whatever you throw my way" Dan told her as Blair just looked at him for a moment

"We've always had the strangest but purest relationship I've ever known. You have been my biggest challenge and my biggest gift to life….but you can't just keep coming around like it's nothing, when it's been revealed of your true intention" Blair replied

"Oh, okay. Now we're getting to the heart of things" Dan laughed to himself

"Yes, this is the heart of things. You come around because you want to be around me" Blair stated

"You're my best friend. What's your next reasoning?" Dan quickly replied without thought

"I want friendship, I want nothing more for us to be friends. I just think you're using our friendship to be more" Blair struggled to say as she spoke knowing that it was killing her to be so cruel to him

"When I dance with you, whenever I'm near you…my only thought is to kiss you. I'm guilty of that, I can't say that our kiss was a mistake because I wanted it. I still want it but I would never force you in to something you were against" Dan told her

"Then you should respect that I'm with Louis. What happened yesterday can never happen again because I don't want it to. Now I kissed you back because it was a habit, but my heart is with Louis or at least I want it to be" Blair said trying to be calm and collected when inside she was screaming at herself for being so brutal

"Just tell me what you want Waldorf? I just need to hear it once and then I'll be done" Dan told her as he put his brave face on

"I want you to call before you come over, I know you come for my mother but I just want to know ahead of time. I think we shouldn't hang out for a while until it's clear where we both stand, and I admit that I may have lead you to believe otherwise but we can't blur the lines anymore. We broke up and we need to start acting like it" Blair said as she clenched on tight to the straps of her purse as a silence came between them

"Your wish will be granted" Dan replied simply before he turned to grab his coat as he headed towards the elevator "I'll be by tomorrow in the morning to see your mother but I'll call to abide the new roles" he told her

"Dan" Blair began to say

"I got it" Dan replied before he boarded the elevator "I got the message loud and clear" he said before the elevator doors closed on him. Feeling the tears rush to her eyes, Blair shook for a moment as she forced herself to remain calm so that she could remember the important thing was to be cruel to be kind.

"You can do this. You can do this. You can do this" Blair whispered to herself as she wiped away the tears before she took a deep breath. Taking a deep breath, Blair pushed on to the next step before she made her way up the stairs.

* * *

Pulling up as close as he could to the house due to the Police cars surrounding the house, Sean quickly paid the driver before he took off running towards the house. Racing past the sea of police that were outside walking about, Sean couldn't help but zero in on what the cops were focusing on. Looking over at the next door neighbor, Sean couldn't help but notice a look of concern on the woman's face as if she was beyond horrified with what had happened. Unable to focus on the woman and what she attempted to mouth to him, Sean quickly pushed forward as his only goal was to find out what happened. Stepping on broken glass that was outside the house, Sean couldn't help but feel like his stomach was doing flips as the sight of things were getting gruesome as he walked through. Just as he thought he was close enough to get inside the house, Sean was stopped by the last line of cops that were looking over the foyer of the house. Not even coming to a full realization that he was being stopped by the cop because he was too busy trying to look on to the next disaster, Sean did his best to answer the questions that were being asked of him by the cop.

"Huh, yes. I know the couple" Sean muttered as his mind went crazy as to where the so called couple in question was but mostly importantly where Serena was

"We're gonna need you to back up until observation is over" The cop requested as he began to usher Sean back

"No, he's good. I called him" Jason said as she suddenly emerged in the doorway "He's my teammate and I wanted him here for support" he said as the cop looked at Jason for a bit of confirmation before he reluctantly let Sean through. Walking in behind Jason, Sean just looked around in horror as his mind just kept going back to where Serena was.

"What the hell happened?" Sean asked as he caught up to walk beside Jason "I mean this place looks someone lost their fucking mind in here" he said unable to find a nicer version of what he what he wanted to say

"Ssh, I don't want to get all antsy" Jason replied as they stopped over in the corner of the living room

"How can you not be antsy? Your house has been trashed" Sean questioned

"Yeah well, it's been a rough night all around. Serena and I were sleeping when all this commotion came from downstairs" Jason said

"So the house was broken in to?" Sean asked

"There was this burly guy that broke in and just starting breaking in. It was like he was looking for something. I came downstairs and was trying to get the guy to leave but he just started acting fucking crazy with me. I thought the guy was going to kill me with how aggressive he was, I mean he was trying to find something of value to pawn or something" Jason said as he became jittery while looking from Sean towards the Police to keep an eye on what was going on

"You fought him?" Sean asked as he looked Jason over to see no substantial evidence to see that he was in a tussle

"I wasn't exactly going to let him come in and scare the crap out of me and my girlfriend. I was scared, but I wasn't about to be some pussy….I tried, I really tried" Jason said trying to keep a brave face but slowly began to break down

"Jay, what's wrong? Just tell me" Sean said becoming more nervous by the minute

"He got her" Jason said in between the tears "He knocked me out cold and he just started whaling on Serena" he said as Sean's meter of calm had went to a zero as no calm was in him

"Where is she?" Sean asked as he began to look around the house urgently in seek of her "Where's Serena?" he asked

"She's being questioned by the police about what happened" Jason told him

"Who did this?! Why would someone come after you guys and attack Serena no less?" Sean immediately asked

"I don't know" Jason replied "I didn't exactly put a neon sign out that says Jason Peters lives here and I happen to play in the NBA. You know me, I'm not that kind of guy. I try to be private and love those in my life" he said

"I know" Sean agreed as he shook his head "I just, I don't understand why you guys were attacked" he said

"Neither do I but this stuff happens" Jason told him "I'm just happy that we were both able to survive this" he reasoned as a silence came between them as Jason could see that Sean was still shook up about everything that he was seeing "Which is why I need your help now more than ever?" he asked

"Yeah, whatever you need. I want to help in anyway" Sean told him without a moment of thought

"Serena is pretty freaked out by being here and I don't want her to have to worry about being here. So I was hoping if you could look after her for the week or until I get her. I just need to get my stuff together and I can't worry about her then take care of things here and there. Just get her our of here and just…just go" Jason said as he ran his hand through his hair before he pulled his car keys out of his pocket to hand to Sean.

"Sure" Sean agreed just as Serena made her way in to the kitchen and in the sight, Sean nearly went weak in the knees not from knock out beauty but from how badly beaten she was. Her left eye was swollen, her lip was busted, cut on her face, her arm in a sling, hair messied as if she had been in a tussle. This wasn't the girl he was used to seeing, the Serena that made it a point to be dolled up at all times. Not wanting to come across as staring, Sean did his best to look away as he could see that Serena was becoming nervous with his look of her. Walking over towards her, Jason wrapped her up in a hug as she tentatively hugged him back as if she was going back and fort h in her mind

"It's going to be okay. I'll protect you" Jason whispered to her as Serena just nodded and complied with his statement "I'll come for you, remember that" he told her as she just became numb to his words that it didn't even matter that no part of her saw them as sincere or not

"Mr. Peter's, we need to talk with you" The police officer said as he walked over

"Okay, can I just have one moment with my girlfriend" Jason requested as he kept his attention on Serena "I'll fix this, don't worry about this." he told her before he leaned in to kiss her while Sean looked away unable to see them kiss for personal reasons and the obvious look of things. Stepping to the side, Jason ushered Serena ahead while Sean lead the way through the crowd of cops. Taking his jacket off, Sean stopped to cover Serena's head so that she wouldn't be recognized when they walked out. Immediately stepping outside, Sean grabbed her hand and opened the door to the car for her to enter. Getting in on his side of the car, Sean did his best to stay calm and cool like she had known him to be but with her immediate action of putting her sunglasses on when little sun was shining, Sean could see that she felt even worse than he could ever feel for her. Taking a moment as they just sat in the car, Sean just realized that this wasn't about him or how the situation looked, it was about being there for her.

"Where do you want me to take you?" Sean asked

"I don't really care" Serena muttered as she continued to look off out the window. Not sure what that meant, Sean just simply thought of what would be the best place for her to get that alone time she needed from the mayhem that was sure to come over Serena van der Woodsen being involved in a house break in and being badly beaten. Starting the car up, Sean just drove to the only place he could think of to have her escape.

* * *

Making his way in front of the mirror, Chuck began to do his tie as he listened out for any sign of if Jenny had gotten up yet. Looking back in to the bedroom, Chuck could see that she was dressed but she just sat on her side of the bed looking aloof. Once his tie was to his liking, Chuck adjusted his cuff links then combed his hair once more before he made his way back in to the bedroom. Grabbing his watch off the nightstand, Chuck continued to get dressed as he hoped to hear that Jenny would as well. Growing worried with the silence, Chuck put the watch down on the dresser and walked over towards Jenny's side of the bed. Taking a seat beside on the bed, Chuck sat with her in silence for a moment before he rested his hand on top of hers. Looking on at his hand on top of hers, Jenny just couldn't make herself believe that the person that she loved could be the very person keeping something from her. Turning her gaze towards him, Chuck and Jenny looked at each other for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Chuck asked as he tucked away a strand of hair away from her face before a silence came between them

"Nothing is wrong" Jenny smiled weakly

"You sure? Because you're usually not this quiet" Chuck told her

"I have a lot on my mind and I'm just not quite sure how to get it out" Jenny said

"Is it about me?" Chuck asked "Because you know we can talk about anything" he told her

"I just….I need honesty from you" Jenny said as she took a deep breath

"Why would I lie to you?" Chuck questioned

"I don't know why but I just want to know if there's any possible reason if you could" Jenny said

"Okay, I'm confused. Do you think I'm lying about something?" Chuck asked

"I think you're hiding something from me and I just want you to tell me" Jenny said

"So you think I'm lying" Chuck concluded

"Yes, I think you're lying about something" Jenny told him

"Would you please tell me what I'm lying about? because I clearly am at a loss for words on this one" Chuck asked with a bit of a laugh

"Do I really have to tell you? I mean shouldn't you know that you did something wrong and then you just admit that you've been caught" Jenny stated

"I don't know what you're talking about?! If I knew then I'd apologize as I've done in all our fights" Chuck told her

"All our fights? Chuck we have fought like you make us out to so don't make this seem like we're some bickering couple" Jenny said

"Tell me what I did?" Chuck asked

"You switched out my birth control pills!" Jenny yelled "I'm taking my pain meds thinking that they're my birth control which explains so much about the non stop sex" she told him

"So because we have sex a lot, that means that I'm conspiring to do what? To make you take pills you're not supposed to be taking?" Chuck questioned

"You're the only one that picks up my prescription. You elect to pick up my prescription and by the time I get to Victrola from school, that gives you ample time to switch them out" Jenny told him as Chuck got up from the bed and began to laugh in disbelief "Where are you going?" she then asked

"You seem to have this whole conspiracy theory worked out, so I'll let you continue on with it" Chuck replied

"Or you could sit and tell me if it's true" Jenny said

"Why bother?! I'm the bad guy, you've jumped to that conclusion because it seems to be natural in your mind. I'm the same old Chuck Bass that got you raped, I'm the same Chuck Bass that played games with you because of my vendetta with your mom…I'm the same Chuck Bass regardless of what I do or say" Chuck told her "So why defend myself to a jury of your opinion and a judge of your all ready made up conclusion…why would I?" he said "I'm going to work and maybe for lunch I'll actually eat instead of swap pills out" he said as he grabbed his jacket and headed out. Groaning in frustration, Jenny ran her hand through her hair as she began to question herself if she was just harping on old traits that Chuck may have to make this conclusion plausible in her own mind.

* * *

Playing with the rim of his cup as they sat in silence, Carter tried to gage Vanessa's reaction to the news he had just given her. With him getting deeper and deeper in to the organization that was ran by Dominic, Carter knew that his only way out would be that of drastic measure. The more he got involved, the more he knew that he couldn't keep this secret from her for to long of what he was planning along with Nikki. Sitting in a state of shock, the last thing that Vanessa expected to hear was all that Carter had just told her. His hand rested on top of hers as he wanted to show some bit of support, but Carter wasn't going to be surprised if she pulled away. Carter hated that he had to play this role in her family, but he knew that this was something that she needed to know in order for them to go further in their relationship. Finally seeing that she was able to process and talk, Carter braced himself for whatever may come.

"How long have you come to this conclusion?" Vanessa asked in still a bit of disbelief

"For a while" Carter told her

"And you just…you think this is the only option?" Vanessa asked

"It's the only option I have. Dom said that he wasn't planning on letting me out and it's not like I'm suited for this type of life" Carter reasoned as Vanessa just sighed as she leaned back in her chair

"Well maybe he was just saying that in the moment or something, I don't know" Vanessa sighed "I hate that your even involved in this…I told you from the beginning that I hated Dom and Nikki's lifestyle" she ranted

"I know but then I was caught up in the money….now, I just want my life back" Carter told her

"Who helped you with this?" Vanessa quickly asked

"What do you mean?" Carter asked

"I mean who helped you with this. I know you didn't just wake up one day and say I think I'll take down Dominic Nicks" Vanessa replied "Who helped you with this Carter?" she pressed as Carter as he did his best to keep Nikki out of the conversation between them. Feeling relieved to see Dan come through the doors of Victrola, Carter nearly thanked the heavens that he saw a welcomed distraction.

"Hey guys" Dan sighed as he walked over towards them to see that he had walked up on a tense moment "Is every thing okay?" he asked as he looked from Vanessa to Carter

"Yeah, we're good" Vanessa sighed as a bit of hope came to Carter

"Are we?" Carter asked as he looked over at her with a bit of a smile

"Don't smile because we still need to talk. I just have to get to a dance class and relieve some instant stress I was put under" Vanessa said as she got up from her seat and began to gather her things

"Love you too sweetheart" Carter smiled as he could hear Vanessa groaning in frustration

"Yeah, yeah" Vanessa said before she walked over to give Carter a quick kiss on the lips "Bye Danny" she said as she walked out while Dan took a seat

"What's up?" Carter asked as he got up to grab some refreshments from behind the bar "What brings you by to see little old me?" he asked

"I need to talk with you about a subject matter you have much knowledge about" Dan said

"Aww, the inner workings of Blair Waldorf. What crazed logic has she thrown at you now?" Carter asked with a bit of a laugh

"It's nothing that hasn't really blown me away but it's still a curveball" Dan told him "As you know or maybe not, Blair and I kissed at the wedding" he said

"Oh, so your plan worked. You two snuck away to your hotel room, right?" Carter asked

"No, it crashed and burned right in front of my face" Dan told him "We kissed, it was great. She ran off and then I chased after her, she called me a liar for not truly being a friend. I come over to the penthouse later that night, fall asleep, bump into her in the morning on her way to work and she tells me that she wants to implement rules for our friendship so that it stays a friendship and her relationship with Louis will flourish….not that I dressed up the actual events to sound brief and pleasant" he rambled

"I'm aware" Carter said as he walked over with two beers in hand for the two of them "So basically she went in to retreat mode?" he asked

"Retreat and cover mode" Dan said "I just don't know what to do. I mean I can say I love her until I'm blue in the face but it's like she wants different things now. She wants the guy that can give her the yachts and stuff" he said

"I hardly think Waldorf is that much in to that lifestyle, but I do think maybe she's weary of another relationship because of you guys ended. I think maybe she's scared that if you two get back together then this will be the final finale to what you guys are and I think the friendship is what she truly loved about the two of you" Carter said

"Yes, but our friendship is more. We're best friends but we love each other. She's been my first in categories that I didn't even know existed" Dan reasoned "You should've seen how she was this morning, it was like she was trying to pick a fight with me. She wanted to set some sort of tone with me that she was trying to implement or something" he

"Then maybe you should stop telling her that and start showing her that you two could be all right the next time around" Carter told him "Words can only go so far until the actions have to be there" he said

"What more can I do?" Dan questioned "I went away, stopped being the Debby Downer of the group and got my act together to where I could possibly publish a book now" he said

"You're getting published?" Carter asked as they got a bit off subject with the topic "Why am I the last to know?" he asked

"Not the point" Dan quickly replied as Carter gave him a look "I'm trying to figure out what the hell Blair wants from me and why she's treating me like the unwanted step child, our bromance or whatever can survive one missed bit of information" he said

"So you think" Carter muttered to himself

"It's hard to show her when she doesn't want me around without being announced" Dan sighed as Carter just laughed to himself "What's so funny?" he asked

"You follow her rules, I don't" Carter said "You know Waldorf's schedule and I know how to be unavoidable, mix that together and we're going to get Waldorf to hear you out" he said as he walked over towards the office to grab his coat while Chuck made his way inside Victrola. Getting up from his seat, Dan followed behind Carter

"Where are you going?" Chuck asked

"I'll be back, don't worry" Carter told him "Just be by your phone for the minor things that we may need you for…such as threats of the Bass hand or possible legal representation" he said

"Why would you need legal representation?" Chuck questioned

"Well you do have the best lawyer out of all of us" Carter reasoned like it was only common sense to him "Okay, well your lawyer is nicer than mine….and doesn't use all those big confusing words" he then added as Chuck massage his forehead while Dan just looked at strangely

"I really don't want to even know what you two are going to be up to. I just choose to be kept in the dark in all things" Chuck sighed

"Good, it makes things less awkward. Just keep Darren on standby and know that I will plead the fifth on everything until told otherwise" Carter said

"Just go!" Chuck yelled as he became irritated

"Carter, let's go" Dan said as he dragged Carter out

* * *

**You don't understand what it is**

**That makes me tick, but you wish you did**

**You always second guess wonderin'**

**I say yes but you just lose out every time**

**[Yoga - 10:00 A.M.]**

After spotting Blair in the middle of the room, Dan and Carter were relieved to see that this was the right class after the numerous attempts of trying to find the location of the class. Feeling a bit uncomfortable in his tights, Carter tried to adjust in the groin area of his pants. Unable to get it to his liking, Carter quickly had to forget about his tight troubles as he followed behind Dan into the classroom. With their mats in hand, Dan tried to get as close to Blair as possible while Carter struggled to walk through the narrow aisles. Stepping on hands left and right, women cried out in pain while Carter apologized. Rolling his mat out behind Blair, Dan set up on his mat as Carter finally set up beside him. Looking back at the boys, Blair glared at them both.

"Humphrey and Baizen, this has got to be a nightmare" Blair muttered

"No, these tights are a nightmare" Carter quickly replied "Who can produce semen with these tight ass tights" he said still trying to adjust his tights

"I wanted to talk to you" Dan said

"At my yoga class?" Blair questioned

"Well it's the only place I could come unannounced and where I could get you to give me a straight answer" Dan told her

"Ssh!" The lady beside them said trying to silence them

"Ssh yourself because the orange isn't doing you any favors of trying to blend in to any fashion trend in this room. That's louder than any voice in this room" Carter replied as the woman huffed in frustration as she got up from her seat and headed out of the class

"Now everyone get in to the cobra position" The instructor said as everyone followed the instructions. Getting in to her cobra position, Blair could only hear the groans of Dan and Carter as they got in to their

"Oh, their go the babies" Carter groaned as he felt the impact that was being placed on his privates.

**If you only knew what I talked about**

**When I'm with my friends just hangin' out**

**Then you'd have the inside scoop**

**On what to say, what to do**

**That way when you play the game**

**Baby, you can never lose**

**[Spa- 11:15 A.M.]**

Making sure that she was getting the right treatment, Blair wanted to avoid all accidents at every cost. Feeling relieved that she was getting a bit of the tension worked out of her body as the stress was beginning to get to her, Blair knew that if there was anything that she needed more, it was a spa day. It wasn't long before Blair was called back for her treatment, and as soon as she walked pass the two magazine readers, it was revealed that it was Dan and Carter sitting idle. Putting their magazines to the side, they both jumped up and began to tighten up their robes as they headed towards the steam room where Blair would be taken to first. Stopped short of their destination, Dan and Carter tried to see around the burly woman to see where Blair had gone off to.

"Uh, we have to get to steam room" Dan reasoned

"Not until first phase of treatment" The burly woman told them

"Well we wanted to check out the first of the free amenities" Carter said

"Not until you have done first phase" The burly woman said once more

"Okay, fine. We'll do the first phase, how long will that take?" Dan asked becoming a bit impatient

"It depends on you" The burly woman told them "Some can take, some can not" she said

"What can't be taken here? I mean besides coupons, which is discriminatory if you ask me, but nothing about this place can't be taken" Carter said

"Good. I'm glad you are first to handle like a bull in rage" The burly woman said

"Not quite sure what that means, but we're capable of managing whatever it is we're supposed to be managing. We just want to hurry and get the first phase done with so we can get to the phase that will get us in to room 28 in the next fifteen minutes" Dan said as he walked towards the treatment room as Carter followed behind as they entered in to the room. Closing the door behind her, the woman reached over to grab her gloves as Dan and Carter hopped up on the table

"What exactly is the first phase anyways?" Carter asked as he put his face down

"Waxing" The burly woman told them as Dan and Carter quickly popped their head up to look on at each other in horror. Within a matter of minutes, the spa was filled with girl screams as the boys cried out in pain.

**Don't you wish that you could be a fly on the wall?**

**A creepy little sneaky little fly on the wall?**

**All my precious secrets, yeah, you'd know them all**

**Don't you wish that you could be a fly on the wall?**

**[Confessions- 1:25 P.M.]**

Sitting uncomfortably in their booth, Dan kept poking his head out to make sure that Blair hadn't left yet. Finding it strange that going to confessions was on her weekly schedule, Dan couldn't help but wonder what exactly she had to confess to each week. Being in church, Dan was unable to get close enough to where Blair was without making a disruption. All he could hope for was that once she would leave then they'd be able to catch up with her outside at the same time. Just as he leaned back in his seat, Dan couldn't help but notice that Carter was still trying to adjust to his wax job that they had done. Before Dan could even manage to say anything to Carter, the priest took his seat on the other side before the sliding door opened up.

"Crap!" Carter exclaimed as silent as possible as they both didn't expect anyone to actually come to talk to them

"What has brought you hear today?" The priest asked as the boys looked at each other, wondering what to say

"Girl problems" Carter quickly replied as Dan just looked at him

"Has said girl problems caused you to stray from your path?" The priest asked

"It's been an interesting path" Dan laughed nervously

"Admit your truths, I can only help if you admit your truth" The priest urged as a silence came between all of them

"Uh…I've been fornicating a lot more than I should while unmarried" Carter said just throwing something together as Dan just hung his head

"Have you as well? the other young man in there with you?" The priest asked

"Your being asked a question" Carter said as he looked over at Dan

"I really don't want to talk about my sex life with a person of the church" Dan muttered to Carter

"The truth will set you free" The priest urged

"It really does. I feel a bit better now knowing that my fornications have been revealed to a man of the church" Carter told Dan

"Yes, yes. I've fornicated before marriage" Dan revealed becoming annoyed

"What type of baptismal programs do you offer?" Carter then offered

"Carter, I'm not here to get saved" Dan quickly replied

"Son, if we're not on this plan to get saved, then what are we here for" The priest told them as Carter shook his head in agreement with the statement.

**You'd love to know the things I do**

**When I'm with my friends and not with you**

**You always second guess, wonderin'**

**If there's other guys I'm flirtin' with**

**You should know by now**

**[Bookstore- 2:45 P.M.]**

Looking on at all the new releases of books that were at her disposal, Blair surveyed the books as she walked down the aisles of the bookstore. Throughout the day, Blair had to worry about thoughts of last night plaguing her as she did her best to piece it together. On occasion as she moved to the next activity after another, Blair would try to call Louis but only found out that he had gone out of town. Feeling like that was a bit odd since he usually was available to her, Blair saw it as more time to just think to herself. Just as she made her way to the end of the aisle, Blair finally found the book that had caught her attention. Grabbing the book, Blair looked on and saw that it was something that she had found intriguing to her. Looking up from the book, Blair was surprised to see Dan standing in front of her.

"Again Humphrey!?" Blair sighed in frustration "Can't you just leave me alone?" she questioned

"I've had to endure a cobra position that is male friendly, I've gotten waxed in areas I don't care to share, I've scheduled a joint baptismal along with Carter…I clearly can't just accept things as they are now because I've endured too much" Dan listed to her "I can't just let things turn in to what you want them to be" he said

"It's how they should be" Blair told him

"That's your opinion, not mine" Dan told her "I think that we're friends and I think we're lovers. We can have it both" he told her

"We really can't. You can't be best friends with your ex" Blair said "It makes things difficult" she said trying not to show her weakness

"Then let me prove you wrong in all accounts. I was wrong for not admitting my real intentions, but if after tonight all you feel is friendship then that's what we'll work on" Dan told her

"Tonight, what exactly is supposed to happen tonight?" Blair asked

"You coming out with me" Dan said

"Did you miss the part where I'm dating someone. Louis wouldn't take kindly to you asking me out on dates" Blair told him

"Call him up, I'll ask him myself if I can take you out" Dan told her as he had a certain confidence in himself that Blair had not seen in a while from him

"You're setting yourself up for heartache Humphrey" Blair sighed

"Or I could be setting myself up for me getting back the one thing I want the most" Dan told her "I'll call to announce my arrival, but I'll be by the penthouse to pick you up at six" he told her as he turned to leave

"I haven't even agreed to go" Blair called out

"You did" Dan laughed "With your eyes and with that nervous little thing you do with your hands" he said before he made his way out of the bookstore. Looking on as Dan left, Blair couldn't help but shake her head as she knew that if there was anyone that knew Blair better than she knew herself, it was Dan. Growing even more guilty, Blair quickly hit the call button on Serena in her contact list only to get her voicemail automatically. Finding it odd and strange, Blair just sighed as she knew this was an issue that she had to deal with on her own.

* * *

Letting out a slight yawn as he got up from his seat on the sofa after nodding off for a while, Sean made his way in to the kitchen to grab a soda from the fridge. Typically, Sean would've taken Serena back to an environment that would've been familiar to her but Sean knew that after the night she had, familiarity was something that was becoming weary to her at this point. Taking her back to his apartment, Sean knew that this would be the last place that anyone would think to look for her at. Immediately upon coming to the apartment, Serena hadn't said much but the things she did say was that she just wanted to rest a bit. Not prying her for any answers to his questions that he may have had, Sean just let her come to him at her own pace. Looking in on her in the bedroom on his way back towards the living room, the little that he did see was that she was sitting up on the bed. Taking a seat on the sofa, Sean sighed as he rubbed his eyes trying to wipe the sleep out of his eyes as the early morning practice was beginning to take a toll on him. Just as he got comfortable on the sofa, Serena began to make her way in to the living room to join Sean to his surprise.

"Hey" Sean said weakly as she took a seat in the oversized lazy boy chair

"How long have I been asleep?" Serena asked

"I couldn't really say. I went to sleep as well" Sean replied "I guess it's been a long night for the both of us" he said as a silence came between them

"It's okay to stare. I know I look horrible" Serena laughed weakly "I was half expecting you to say something by now" she said as she began to play with her hands

"No, I wasn't going to poke you if you weren't ready" Sean said "I'm sure it's been a lot to digest with the some random person doing this to Jay and you" he said as Serena quickly looked up at him only to realize that it was a story that she took part in

"What did Jay tell you?" Serena asked as her voice began to tremble

"He just told me that this guy came in and starting breaking things, then just got even more aggressive…moreso with you I guess" Sean said a bit timid as he could see teas well up in Serena's eyes "We really don't have to talk about it. I pick up things easily" he told her as she began to wipe away tears

"Thank you for coming to get me, I know you're probably busy with celebrating and all of that, so thank you for coming" Serena told him

"I would've come regardless…whenever you need me, I'll be there" Sean admitted as Serena just smiled at him weakly "Here, follow me" he said as he got up from his seat and grabbed her hand to lead her in to the bathroom

"What are you doing?" Serena asked nervously

"We're giving you a proper clean up" Sean told her as he pulled out his medical kit "When I was in high school, I always thought I was cool when I would talk trash on the courts. Got a couple busted lips from said talking trash and elbows to the eyes, things that my mom didn't exactly like. I used to blame it on other people because it wasn't like I was going to tell the truth. But I was good and I wasn't going to let losers bring down my baller status…." he began to say

"Baller status?" Serena asked as he poured rubbing alcohol on to a q-tip

"Yes, I was a young Kobe in the making" Sean laughed as he walked towards her "But it's never an excuse to not pretty yourself up because cleaning up the mess allows you to see the canvas, and in that, I still knew that I was still good" he laughed as he moved in closer towards her as he gently tilted her face "This may sting" he said in a whisper as he began to clean her cut while she flinched at the stinging sensation

"This stuff stings" Serena whimpered

"Oh, you're just being a baby" Sean laughed as she settled in to his grasp he had on her "Does it still sting?" he asked as he stopped his cleaning

"Yes" Serena replied as her hand lowered to grip on both sides of his shirt. Gripping on gently to her face, Sean leaned forward to blow lightly on her cut as all Serena could do was laugh "Are you serious?" she asked

"Hey, is it working?" Sean asked with a bit of laughter himself as Serena just nodded "Okay then, then just let me blow" he said as Serena just continued to laugh as the words didn't seem come out right "And that sounded worse" he smiled

"Just keep blowing" Serena told him as he couldn't help but smile at how the distance between them had become minimum if not little. For the first time in the matter of hours, Serena felt like she could finally breath and not fear the next moments in the day. Cleaning her wounds with as much attention, not once did Sean pry into her business and was just someone that she could be around to help make the trauma seem less traumatic.

* * *

Watching movies with her mother, Blair hugged her pillow close to her body as she couldn't help but get emotional on Holly Golightly's journey towards love. Blair had seen the movie millions of times but it still seemed to catch her in the moments of awe and that was just the essence of Audrey Hepburn that she found so enamoring. Looking over beside her, Blair couldn't help but notice that her mother had drifted off to sleep with a copy of Marie Clair laying on her stomach. Grabbing the magazine, Blair folded it up before she put it on her nightstand on her way out of the room to let her mother sleep. Making her way down the stairs, Blair looked over to see Tyler coming off the elevator with his usual bag in hand that she was sure contained all his journalism things he'd need to break a story on location if need be. Meeting up in the foyer, the silent acknowledged the other as they knew there was nowhere to run to avoid each other since the obvious person they were here for was upstairs.

"She's asleep" Blair sighed as she made her way in to the living room to take a seat as she took to her phone. Taking a seat on the sofa, Blair went through her e-mails seeing that she had a number of them to get to.

"I thought you'd be at work" Tyler said as he followed behind her

"I bet" Blair replied as she didn't tear away eye contact from her blackberry "I called out for the day, though I'm finding that I'm still reachable through e-mail" she said

"Technology makes it harder to just runaway like we'd like" Tyler said as he sat across from her on the opposite sofa while he began to take his lap top out to put on his lap "The wedding was beautiful" he commented

"Yeah, it was. Dorota was the belle of the ball. I bet she's loving her week off from indentured servitude" Blair said as she opened up a message from Bex on the sledneb account that she was supposed to look over to buy. Quickly reading the notes that Bex had on it, Blair quickly noticed that the stock had yet to be bought.

"Did you talk with Dan?" Tyler asked as Blair looked up from her phone to see Tyler's waiting eyes looking back at him "You know since that is what we talked about last" he added as the silence remained between them as they just looked at each other "I would at least think we could manage the minimal conversation" he then said

"Yes, but you seem eager. Too eager…you're not trying to trick me in to a quote or something are you? Open your bag and any other recording device you may have?" Blair asked

"I don't record…often. Look, I know how to separate work from personal conversation" Tyler said

"I have yet to see that" Blair quickly replied

"Well, I didn't exactly publish our last conversation, so give me some credit" Tyler told her "Just tell me if you took or listened to any of my advice?" he asked

"You'd love to hear that, wouldn't you?" Blair asked "But things only got worse if you must know. So bad that I don't think Dan will be around much, but don't worry you'll still get to be buddies with him" she said

"What'd you do?" Tyler asked

"Why do you automatically insist that I did something?" Blair questioned

"Because last I check, you held all the cards to the game" Tyler said

"Well my cards got taken away and like stated before…it only got worse" Blair sighed "I'd like to believe that Dan and I could be something more but it just seems like it might not be meant to be" she said

"Or maybe your thinking too much" Tyler said

"I think when you sleep with another a guy that goes beyond the cerebral thought" Blair quickly blurted out without even realizing it and automatically she regretted that she even said anything

"Who'd you sleep with?" Tyler asked in a bit of shock

"Please tell me all recording devices are put out?" Blair said becoming jittery

"I'm not recording" Tyler replied "Who'd you sleep with?" he asked

"I slept with the French guy, the guy I'm with…he's sort of my boyfriend" Blair said

"Okay, so if he's your boyfriend then Dan would understand that" Tyler said

"The only guy I've ever had sex with, any sexual experience I've ever had has been with Dan" Blair told him

"Okay, I don't think I needed to hear the full on details to your sexual history but don't you think you're being a tad overdramatic?" Tyler asked

"Guys don't like a girl that have been tainted" Blair sighed

"I believe tainted comes in to play when the girl's virtue is in tact, your virtue was taken by the same guy you continued to sleep with" Tyler said

"Regardless of what knowledge you throw at me, I know Dan. I know how he thinks and how he operates. As many compromising positions I've caught him in with strippers and other questionable women, I know that he's never slept with anyone but me and he's known the same about me. I guess that's probably been one of our ties because that's something we shared together in a beautiful way that I'll never forget…but now, that bond is gone. My pureness in his eyes will be tainted and he'll ultimately see that if I've chosen to sleep with someone else then clearly I've moved on" Blair said

"You're over thinking" Tyler sighed

"No, I'm just being realistic" Blair said "I had my slim chance to be with him again and it's got to mean something that I chose to break our bond to be with someone else" she said "Every action as some bit of truth behind it, and maybe my action had the truth that Dan and I just weren't meant to be" she said sadly.

"I think you should tell him the truth on all accounts. I think you should tell him about what happened with Louis but most of all, I think you should tell him that you still love him" Tyler told him "Because I assure you…not saying the things that are true can kill you even if you think letting him go will set you free" he told her

"Is this wisdom from a love lost?" Blair asked

"It's wisdom of regret" Tyler then replied "Plus I am a bit older than you" he then added with a weak laugh as the two looked on at each together.

"I should probably get ready for my whatever this is with Dan tonight" Blair said as she got up from her spot on the sofa before she began to walk towards the stairs

"Tell him" Tyler called out as he sat on the sofa and turned his lap top on to see the letter that he was struggling to write to the Los Angeles Times on whether to accept or decline the offer they had sent to him.

* * *

Getting the official word that Dan was on his way to pick up Blair for their date, Carter smile proudly as he was glad that he hadn't ruined Dan's plan to make things good with Blair again. Carter knew that he wasn't that big of a help but he couldn't help see the days adventure as a necessary distraction from the drama that he was dealing with in his own life. Meeting up their desired location near Victrola, Carter looked around to make sure that any suspicious characters weren't following him around. Making his way down the alley, Carter couldn't help but notice that there was two people standing waiting for him. Becoming nervous, Carter walked over slowly and cautiously as he began to see that it was Nikki but it appeared to be Vanessa with him as well. Sighing a bit of relief, Carter then saw Vanessa's facial expression on her face to realize that he wasn't out of the woods quite yet like he had thought. Folding her arms as he walked up, Vanessa looked from Nikki to Carter in a bit of anger.

"So is this your bit of I came up with this plan all by myself because I think mentioning that you're meeting with my brother in alley's is a huge detail you should tell me!" Vanessa replied as Carter stood speechless

"She's persistent and strong" Nikki reasoned as Carter just looked at him

"Yes, and I don't buy in easily to the crap you both try to sale to me. Both of you need to start talking" Vanessa said "What business do you have with each other?" she asked

"This isn't something you need to know" Carter told her

"He's the only father I've ever known Carter, I deserve to know what your business is with my brother" Vanessa replied

"I was just trying to help him get his life back Ness" Nikki said finally giving in to her demands

"By putting our father in jail?" Vanessa asked in disbelief "Surely there has to be a better reason behind it" she said

"Besides the fact that he's holding your boyfriend hostage in the organization, isn't that reason enough?" Nikki asked

"You know what I mean Nikki. I hate that Carter is even involved, I hate that you're involved. I hate all of this but I burry my head in the sand because it involves people that I care about, people that I love" Vanessa said

"Your relationship is dangerous, have you factored that in. Dominic has this family in a high alert situation that could place your life in danger and his at the same time" Nikki said

"So you want to do what? Turn him in to the cops then take over the family business?" Vanessa questioned "That sounds like pure greed if you asked me and that makes me question your motives" she said

"I don't want the family to have the reputation it's had. This family used to have a respectable name like our grandparents had intended for it to be. I don't want to worry about getting a bullet put in my head because of this life, because of Dominic's choices. You deserve to date whomever you choose without worrying about your stepfather's lifestyle getting in the way" Nikki said

"So where do you come in to all of this?" Vanessa asked as she looked over at Carter

"Dominic is pushing to make alignment with the Riccolo family. There's a meeting and I'm trying to work in a way to be there with him. I record the conversation while wearing a wire…then I get my freedom" Carter said

"That sounds crazy" Vanessa laughed in disbelief "You're sending him in there to get killed!? I'm not letting you send my boyfriend in as some martyr" she said angrily

"I have no choice Ness. Once Dominic finds out that Riccolo has been doing deals with me then he'll be furious and I'd be dead on arrival" Nikki reasoned

"He's not some monster, he's our father!" Vanessa replied

"Yes, and it doesn't make what he's doing right" Nikki replied as Vanessa began to tear up

"Look, I hate this an I hate that I'm putting you in this position but I want my life back. I want to be able to be seen in public with you without worrying about crossing any lines. I want my business to be mine and only mine without having to shave off the top to hand over to Dominic" Carter told her

"I'm not mad at you" Vanessa said as she wipe the tears "I just hate that it's coming to this because no matter how much you plan for things to run smoothly, nothing like this runs smoothly" she replied "I just really hope that you two are smart in this and know exactly what you're doing" she added

"This is the only way Ness" Nikki told her

"Do what you have to do Nikki, just do what you need to" Vanessa said before she walked away

* * *

Taking a deep breath as she looked on at herself in the mirror, Blair finished up the final touches on her appearance. Looking at herself as she found herself doing even more these days, Blair began to feel overwhelmed with emotions as she wasn't quite sure what to make of what she wanted to feel and what she was feeling. Going back and forth in her head, Blair ultimately felt like being around Dan was only going to make things worse for her. Louis hadn't picked up in the twenty times that she had called, and she was unsure of how he was felling in all of this so she wanted some excuse to use as to why shouldn't be around Dan. Finally coming to her conclusion, Blair quickly made her way out of the room and headed downstairs. Just as she reached the final step, Dan came off the elevator.

"I changed my mind. You can't be here. We can't do this. I don't know why I let you force this on me but you have to go back to Brooklyn and stay there. I'll pay you back for the cab ride but just go" Blair rambled as she quickly pushed Dan towards the elevator before he quickly turned around

"Okay, now what crazed logic have you come up with now?" Dan asked as he braced each of her shoulders

"It's not crazed logic, it's what is" Blair told him as Dan just laughed as he continued to brace her shoulders

"Okay, okay. I'll let you have your crazed logic because it's not like its anything new to me but I will be taking you out tonight and you will have a good time" Dan told her

"I won't. I refuse to. I'm protesting any good time because we're not going out" Blair told him

"You can fight me all you want but I know you want to go out with me, and you want to know how I know?" Dan asked

"I'm not doing the thing with my hand so you can't use that like you did earlier, and that was a lucky guess because you know I've been a handsy person" Blair quickly replied

"If you didn't want to go out with me, you wouldn't have taken as much time to look the way you do right now" Dan said as he let go of her shoulders to look her over "And that's what you always look like….beautiful and breath taking" he told her "So please, stop fighting me and just admit what is so plain to see" he smiled

**In the blink of an eye**

**I was falling from the sky**

**In the blur, you took my breath away**

**And my heart starts beating**

**And my lungs start breathing**

**And the voice in my head starts screaming**

**I'm alive!**

Taking in the beauty of the exhibit, Blair looked on in awe as she could only be effected with what the artist was conveying. Looking over to see the glimmer of happiness that was in Blair's eyes, Dan couldn't help but let a smile slip as the tough exterior that Blair was trying to put up was slowly fading. Noticing that his eyes were on her, Blair looked over to see that Dan was smiling back at her. Rolling her eyes at his obvious charm that was getting to her. Not wanting him to get too secure about his efforts, Blair walked off to the next exhibit as Dan could only survey his own choice of artwork.

**You're like a laserlight, burning down**

**Burning down, on me**

**You're like a laserlight, burning down**

**Burning down, on me**

Laughing at the jokes in the movie, Dan kept stuffing his face with popcorn as he looked on at the movie. It was always the dumbest jokes that Dan managed to laugh at like it was the funniest thing in the world. To her, Blair had once been annoyed with his laugh but now she began to miss and adore it like was a memory that she needed to be reminded of. Trying to busy herself with things other than the Humphrey habits that were starting to grow on her, Blair dug her hands in to the bag of popcorn only to realize that Dan's hand was all ready there. Immediately they looked over at each other and Blair just couldn't seem to escape the moments where they kept colliding. Laughing to herself in disbelief, Dan took his hand out and gave her the go ahead to grab her popcorn while she begrudge grabbed the handful of popcorn.

**You make me feel good,**

**You make me feel safe,**

**You make me feel like I could live another day**

**You make me feel good,**

**You make me feel safe,**

**You know I wouldn't have it any other way**

Walking through the park with their cups of coffee in hand, Dan babbled on about the manuscript that he had written. Blair had wanted information to make sure that no part of her was going to be criticized in the book, but selfishly she wanted to hear about the very manuscript that had him so excited to see her bright and early in the morning. Listening to him talk so passionately about the characters, Blair couldn't help but love the passion he had for what he loved to do. It was like she was seeing the boy all over again but in a new light as he was morphing in to the man she knew he'd become. His stories always managed to keep her attention even when she pretended that it didn't, Blair hung on his every word as they walked side by side sipping on their cups of coffee. Making it a point to make her laugh, Dan was glad to know that he could still do that to her. Coming upon the small pond where the ducks floated carelessly, Dan and Blair sat down as they continued to talk about everything and anything that was of interest to them as they just enjoyed each other's company.

**You and me, face to face**

**And there's so much I could say**

**On these words, and forever seem the silence**

**Can you hear, that box bre-brea-breaking**

**And the world starts sha-sha-shaking**

**They keep talking, talking, talking**

**But we're walking, walking, to the light**

**Tonight, tonight**

Running around the grassy area, Blair quickly kicked her heels off so that she could have a bit of an advantage on Dan. Gaining some speed on her, Blair laughed so hard that she was afraid that she couldn't breath. Zig zagging all over the grass to throw him off her trail, Dan was finally able to grab her by the waist. Spinning her around, Blair erupted with laughter as even when she tried to run as fast as she could, he always seemed to catch her. Just as they got caught up in the spinning, the sprinklers turned on as they quickly ran off the grass to grab any items they may have dropped on their childish games. Taking a seat on the bench, Blair took a moment to catch her breath while Dan grabbed her heel before he kneeled down. Grabbing her foot, Dan slipped the shoe on her foot before he looked up at her to see that she was enamored with his actions.

"I'm glad to see that I was wrong" Dan smiled as he still tried to catch his breath

"About what?" Blair asked trying not to sound so eager

"I can give you the Cinderella moment" Dan told her "Though I must say this baby toe isn't exactly my favorite" he teased before Blair hit him playfully on the arm

**You're like a laserlight, burning down**

**Burning down, on me**

**You're like a laserlight, burning down**

**Burning down, on me**

* * *

Wrapping her wrist as gingerly as possible, Serena couldn't manage to contain the surges of pain that she was feeling. For the better part of the day, Sean had iced it and put the heating pad on the wrist but nothing seemed to be working. Not wanting to push her in to anything, Sean just played his part in this scenario as the helper because he just wanted to make sure that she was okay above every thing else. Slowly but surely, the blogs were buzzing with rumors about what had been going on with Serena so Sean knew that Serena's only solace would be with him because the media was just ready to put any story possible out there. Sean found it a bit strange that Jason hadn't called or checked in but then Sean just summed it up as Jason taking care of the business that needed to be done around the house. Finishing up the wrap that was on her wrist, Sean leaned over to grab the pain relievers to put in her mouth before he gave her a sip of water.

"Thank you" Serena said as she tried to stomach the pain but Sean could see it clear as day even though she tried to hide it

"You know you should get this checked out" Sean told her as he put his wrap away in his kit "You can barely pick anything up and the bruising doesn't make me feel any better" he told her

"Are you a doctor?" Serena asked as she tried to move her wrist around but found the pain to be excruciating

"No, but I'm an athlete. I know a break, sprain, and tear when I see it" Sean told her as Serena looked on at her wrist

"I can't go to the doctors. I don't want to answer all the questions" Serena sighed

"I know" Sean said as a silence came between them "I hate that this happened to you. I mean I had this feeling like something was wrong with you, and I should've…" he began to say

"You couldn't have predicted that last night would've happened. It's normal, stuff like this happens" Serena reasoned

"It does but not in that type of neighborhood, which makes it shocking. From looking at you, it just seems like this ass was after you and just whaling on you because he knew he could…he knew that you were in no position to defend yourself" Sean said as he looked on at her injuries

"I should've expected it" Serena said as tears welled up in her eyes as Sean looked at her in confusion

"Who expects to get attacked like that?" Sean asked "Nothing about the break in is something that anyone can plan for" he said

"Well I'll sleep easier knowing that I can call you and you'll come running with your medical kit in tow. Who needs hospital when I have a friend that pull a Dr. Quinn anywhere and everywhere" Serena laughed weakly

"Do you remember any thing about the guy? I mean maybe the cops have found him or something" Sean asked as he quickly got up from his seat

"No, I don't remember…it just happened so fast" Serena said feeling a bit nervous

"Nothing. I mean there's nothing that jogs your memory now that you've had time to…" Sean began to babble

"Just drop it!" Serena yelled out of frustration "I don't want to jog any bit of my memory because I just want to forget. I want to forget because I have to believe that this will never happen again, I have to believe that things will go back to normal as I know them…so I don't want to draw on the past because it won't do me any good to bring up the why or how he did what he did. I just have to be better and I can avoid this" she said

"You have to be better? Serena, this has nothing to do with you or what your about. Some asshole does this because he has nothing better to do than to hit a woman, you don't need to be better, that asshole does" Sean told her

"Why is this so important to you? Why do you want me to remember something I want so desperately to forget?" Serena asked as she began to cry

"Because…I don't want to see you like this" Sean told her

"Well this has happened and it happened to me. I'm not perfect like people think and regardless of what happened, I just want this night to not be about last night because I'm sure I'll have to tell the same story come tomorrow to some media outlet" Serena laughed through the tears

"If you could runaway, do you think you would? I mean from all of this, the media, the expectations…would you?" Sean asked

"I have before, ran away. It didn't work because the problems still remained" Serena smiled "I'd want to be normal but that would wishful thinking on my part because I'm always going to be the it-girl that everyone wants to talk about or blog about" she said "Sometimes the illusion of perfection is better to have than the reality of things not being perfect" she told him before Sean walked over towards the sofa to take a seat beside her

"You bruise. You bleed. You love fashion like the typical girl. You're stubborn. You like reading the fortune cookies before eating your chow mein. You break….you cry" Sean told her looking her dead in the eyes as they sat looking at each other "You're normal and your human like everyone else. You just have access to a lot of things, but nothing makes you better than anyone else. You're normal and I think you act more normal than you fail to realize" he told her

"I can't act normal, me being normal will kill the façade for people that look at me as some paragon of perfection" Serena laughed "And I happen to think eating the fortune cookie before is common sense because…" she began to say

"Your bad luck could be chipping your tooth on a peanut that was in the container or something" Sean filled in the blanks "You tell me that every time" he laughed as a silence came between them "You could be anything in this world, if you want it to be then it can be. You just have to stop thinking or letting other people dictate who you are in this world. Serena van der Woodsen is who you define her to be, not what some blog portrays you as because I guarantee you, I don't have to read a blog to know that 99% of what they say is false because of what I know about you, I happen to think your amazing" he told her

"I've never heard that I was stubborn" Serena laughed softly

* * *

Making his way inside of the apartment, Chuck loosened up his tie before he tossed his keys over towards the side table. Putting his jacket away in the hallway closet, Chuck went through his normal routine of rolling up his sleeves to his forearm before he grabbed the stack of bills to go through. Nothing new seemed to pop out at him as it was the usual bills that he had become accustomed to paying. Noticing that no aroma's were coming from the kitchen, Chuck looked over towards the living room to see that Jenny was sitting down doing her homework diligently. Putting the bills down on the counter, Chuck took a moment to go over what he should say before walked over towards the sofa to join his wife. Sitting across from her, Chuck took a moment to see that she was still upset with him and lately it was a look that he was beginning to know very well because it was a look that many people had given him throughout his life.

"I did it" Chuck admitted "I switched out your pills and stopped picking up your birth control" he told her as Jenny looked at him for a moment before she sat her homework down on the table before her so that all of her attention could go back towards him.

"Why?" Jenny asked

"Because I like this. I like the life that I have with you and the person I am with you" Chuck told her "You say you love me and I believe it. I feel it and I just felt like if I could duplicate that love then we'd have all we need" he said

"So you were hoping to get pregnant?" Jenny asked as a silence came between them "That time when I thought I was pregnant, you were disappointed that I wasn't" she began to put two and two together

"I never thought of us being pregnant until then because it was just something I never thought I'd deal with…but when the possibility was there, I just kept thinking about what our lives would be like and it wasn't bad. We were happy, we were satisfied and content….and I don't think I've ever had that in my life. It's always me wondering how long this was going to last because sooner or later the other shoe was going to drop because I'm the one people leave, I'm the one that people don't choose" Chuck told her

"I understand that, honestly I do. I just wish you'd tell me this instead of plot or scheme to get me pregnant without my consent. It takes two to have a child and to raise a baby. Now we both fortunate enough to have that in our lives but I don't want to bring a child in this world without being able to give it a stable home" Jenny said

"I'm sorry" Chuck said after a few moments of silence

"I wish I could accept it but I can't get over how you lied to me about this. How you made me out to be the one to blame for questioning you on something you did do. How you just disregarded what I may want or feel about the subject just so you could get what you want" Jenny stated "I may be younger than you, but I'm not going to be treated like a child in this marriage. I'm your wife and I want the respect as your partner" she told him

"And you deserve that" Chuck agreed as a silence came between them as they sat together "Do you think we'd be good parents?" he asked

"I'm sure we would, but Chuck…I don't want to have kids" Jenny told him as Chuck just looked on at her in a bit of disbelief

"As in now? because I'd understand that with all that we have going on" Chuck asked

"As in not within the near future or even ten years down the line" Jenny told him

"Is this because of your mom?" Chuck laughed to himself in disbelief as he couldn't believe what he was hearing "I mean because we're clearly not our parents Jen" he said

"I get that and it's not because of her….it's because I just never saw kids in my future. I wanted to travel and enjoy all there is that life has to offer once I graduated from college. I just don't see where kids fit in to that picture" Jenny reasoned "But I guess the big question is…is that okay with you? Not having kids?" she asked as she could see the look on Chuck's face.

* * *

**Gravity pulls and We fall from the clouds **

**We prove to each other **

**That we're both human now **

**The time that we spent **

**Trying to make sense **

**Of it all **

Opening up the door to the townhouse that they once shared, Dan looked around to make sure that every thing was spotless like Carter had promised it to be. Finding that it reached his satisfaction, Dan looked back at Blair as she nervously played with her hands wondering if she was doing right by even being here with Dan. Putting the keys back in his pocket once he was sure the door was unlocked, Dan walked down the two steps to stand in front of her. Looking up at his eyes, Dan and Blair stood looking on at each other as the moonlight was the only bit of light that they had. This was something that was once theirs, that's all Blair could think about as she looked from Dan to the townhouse. How could things get so complicated from us living together from me feeling like this? She asked herself over and over again.

**All that I'm asking for Is that you need nothing more **

**And nothing comes in between **

**Our love and it's fragile, see **

**All that I'm asking for **

**You're all that I'm asking for **

He knew he was on dangerous grounds but Carter couldn't help but to take the detour. Making his way past the gates towards the Nicks household, Carter crept up towards the oversized window that looked in on the living room. Creeping up from the bushes so that he wouldn't be seen, Carter looked inside to see Vanessa sitting on the sofa with her mother and Dominic. Laughing and talking like a normal family, Carter couldn't help but feel guilt as he knew what he'd be taking away from her. Regardless of what Dominic was to everyone else, Dominic was the only father that Vanessa knew and loved.

**Now we walk together **

**Knowing where we've been **

**Knowing mistakes are being mistaken again **

**It's in the past tense **

**There is no making sense of it now **

Looking on at each other, Chuck began to realize that no words were going to solve the situation at hand. It was a topic that would have to be discussed and discussed until they reached a final conclusion. Getting up from his seat, Chuck walked over to kiss Jenny on the cheek before he made his way back towards the bedroom. Sitting in confusion, Jenny couldn't help but wonder is this was going to be a topic that plague them or a topic that they could easily get past. Whatever the answer was, Jenny knew only time could tell if this would make or break them as a couple.

**All that I'm asking for **

**Is that you need nothing more**

** And nothing comes in between **

**Our love and it's fragile, see **

Resting his head up against the backboard of the bed, Sean yawned as he could feel his hand become numb from holding the ice in place on Serena's hand. Looking down to see that she had fallen asleep on his chest. Sean took a deep breath to take her in as whatever worry he might have had upon getting the call that someone had broken in to the house, Sean was relieved to see that she was fine and safe. With him. It didn't matter if his hands froze off, Sean was determined to nurse her back to good health or at least to the point where she could feel safe again.

"Do you know the story about the three little pigs?" Serena muttered as she kept her eyes close

"I'm not telling you a bedtime story about the three little pigs" Sean quickly replied

"C'mon Sean. I'm the patient here" Serena pouted

"And your testing mine" Sean laughed

"Just do the story and I won't ask about the little red riding one because it's kind of depressing in real life" Serena replied

"Every Disney story is depressing in real life" Sean replied as Serena laughed while she snuggled up closer towards him

"It wasn't a Disney story" Serena laughed

"Whatever, I'm sure Disney used it to capitalize off of in one those damn television shows they have" Sean replied

"If you tell me the story then I'll ice your ankle" Serena said as she looked up at him "We could ice each other" she laughed

"Somehow that's got to be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I ice your wrist and then you ice my ankle, that's a turn on if I ever heard one" Sean teased as Serena gave him the baby face "Fine, but it's going to be the short version. The version that last two minutes and everyone dies because they're too damn corny to stay alive in real life" he said giving her the rules and stipulation of story time

"You can't kill off pigs" Serena proclaimed

"And yet you eat bacon for breakfast" Sean quickly replied "Do you want your story or not?" he asked

"Fine, I'll take your unhappy story" Serena replied as she rested her head on his chest once more

**All that **

**I'm asking for **

**You're all that ****I'm asking for In the still of your hands **

**Anything can happen now **

**With every beat of my heart **

**Love speaks in silence **

**In the still of your hands **

**Anything is possible **

**With every beat of my heart **

Taking a seat beside her on the sofa, Dan placed his cup of coffee down in front of him before put her usual cup of tea in front of her. Smiling from ear to ear, Dan wanted to show her that nothing had changed since she left, that every bit of her was still in the place that was once their home. Looking on at how happy he was, Blair couldn't help but become even more nervous and anxious as she sat with him. Every smile he gave her was genuine and filled with love while every smile she gave him was the genuine emotion of how much she did truly love him still. Regardless of how she felt, Blair knew that honesty had to prevail in the end because as much as it seemed they were starting over with him being everything that she always knew he could be, it was all going to fade with the admission of truth.

"So I want to apologize for crowding you earlier, Carter had this idea to stay in your orbit and I just thought that if I was where you were then it'd make things okay" Dan told her "But I guess it was just a dumb plan gone completely wrong. Though I do have a baptism that I will be inviting you to" he said as he laughed softly but found that she wasn't laughing with him

"I should go" Blair told him as tears welled up in her eyes

"Why? I thought you were having a good time" Dan asked

"I am…I was" Blair reasoned "I just have to go because I can't pretend things are going to be fine with us when I know it won't be" she said

"Okay, this is the crazed logic, isn't it?" Dan asked "Blair, whatever it is that I need to prove to you, I will prove because I'm sure about us. I'm not consumed with you but I know that I love you in ways that love is all about" he told her

"I know you do and that's what makes this harder" Blair said as she wiped away tears

"Then what? What other reasoning could you have that could change what I know you felt tonight?" Dan asked "You looked at me the same way you did when you loved me. You laughed at my jokes the same way that was more of you laughing at me, but you still thinking it was adorable to laugh at. Nothing about us has changed, we're best friends and we're in love with each other…and I won't deny that anymore" he told her as Blair cried

"This will" Blair said in between tears

"What will? Blair, what will change what we have?" Dan asked becoming impatient with how she was hell bent on pushing away

"I slept with him. I had sex with Louis" Blair revealed before Dan just sat there in utter shock and disbelief.

**The time that we spent **

**Trying to make sense, of it all **

**All that I'm asking for **

**Is that you need nothing more **

**And nothing comes in between **

**Our love and it's fragile, see **

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter:**

**Gabrielle Aplin- Home**

**Miley Cyrus- Fly on the Wall**

**Jessie J- Laserlight**

**Lifehouse- All That I'm Asking For**

**Author's Note: So the chapter wasn't as intense, but it defintely picked up with some intense moments for Serena. But overall, peice by peice everyone is moving forward in their storylines.**

**Dan/Blair- Blair is still in love with Dan. Circumstances just got in the way of her truly coming to that conclusion because she thinks that she slept with Louis. In her mind, Blair thinks that she stepped out on Dan and the bond that they shared. I think her scene with Tyler best explains her mindset, but ultimately she feels like if she turns her feelings off then it will hurt less but hanging out with Dan only made it worse because she does realize she's still in love with him.**

**Serena/Sean/Jason- This may have been confusing but I'll explain just in case. Jason has Serena lie to the police since there was so much damage done caused by him of course. Jason tells the police that a man came in and tried to rob them, Jason got knocked out while Serena was being attacked by the guy. But you all know the truth, but this is just a way to keep the fact that Serena is being beaten by Jason. The neighbor will play an interesting part so note on who she tries to talk to.**

**Carter/Vanessa/Nikki- Nikki and Carter have decided to turn Dominic in. Nikki wants to turn in Dominic because he fears for his family and wants to make the family respectable again, so it's not like he's planning to take over the family business. Vanessa ultimately wants everyone to be safe in all this, but she does feel torn because Nikki is her brother, Carter is the boyfriend, and Dominic is the only father she's known. So I wanted to make it a realistic situation and not a situation where Carter magically finds a way and then a happy ending.**

**Chuck/Jenny- Chuck did in fact swap out the pills, dun dun dun. Chuck wanted to have a family because he wanted to surround himself with love that he knew would last. I think as I was writing it, I realized that Chuck and Dan are very much alike because his parents didn' t exactly make him feel secure with love in general, so he's going a bit overboard with the concept of love. But now Chuck and Jenny are having realistic issues in marriage.**

**Tyler- He is struggling with what to do about Los Angeles Times. As you know, he's conflicted with getting to know his family and getting to live out his dream job. So it will get interesting as I'm sure most of you are taking a liking to him. Yes, he's a good guy.**


	20. Inglorious Bassterds

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews. I love hearing your feedback on the stories and the admissions that your addicted. Lol. I thought it was funny how some of you were just openly admitting it like we were in a meeting or something. I cracked up a few times on the reviews. So now we have TWO more chapters left, so expect things to get crazy. I hope you enjoy the chapter and I look forward to your reviews.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Nineteen- Inglorious Bassterds**

* * *

Staring her in the eyes, Dan sat motionless for what felt like an eternity as he tried to register what he had just heard. Searching her eyes, Dan went through every mental checklist he could think of that would indicate if Blair was truly telling him the truth or giving him a lie in order to make him truly walk away. His mind went all over the place as visuals of Louis began to storm the front lobe of his brain, the portion of his brain that made it hard for him to forget a face, a tone of voice, a smile, a grin, any aspect that made Louis stand out to him. Different emotions were circling inside of him as he truly felt like he had got a kick to the gut with hearing the words she had told him. The idea, the image of Blair being with another man haunted him in that moment because as strange as it was, Dan believed they'd always be with each other in that manner. That was their bond that kept him coming back. Knowing that the girl he had lost his virginity to was the very girl he was still in love with. It was a idea situation that not many had the fortune of having as sex now was just purely sex and never anything more.

"…how?" Dan struggled to say as he a gaze of disbelief still hung over him

"Humphrey you know the how" Blair replied in a desperate and shamed tone

"I know….that was a dumb question, but I just…I can't help but ask the how. I mean you literally…" Dan began to say before he trailed off in to silence "You slept with him Blair. You had sex with him" he said as he tore out of his gaze to look at her

"Which is why tonight should've never happened" Blair said as she quickly got up from the sofa grabbing her purse and her things

"No, tonight should've happened but what was your intention of tonight? I mean was that supposed to be the final blow to get me to back off? Are you lying? Are you done with us? I'm just trying to understand" Dan questioned as he got up from his seat

"What?!" Blair asked

"I'm not trying to sound like an ass, but this is my pure thoughts. I mean you slept with another guy" Dan reasoned trying to stay calm

"We're not together. We weren't together that night and we're still not together. So stop making me sound like I cheated on you" Blair replied as tears welled up in her eyes

"And I don't want you to feel that way" Dan said as he was torn between wanting to comfort her and wanting to stay away to process the news himself. Silence came between them as they both stood looking at each other "When, when did this happen?" he asked nervously

"Do you really want to know?" Blair asked through the tears

"I need to" Dan replied is a discouraged tone

"The night of the wedding" Blair told him

"So after you talked with me….that's where you ran to. You ran to him, to be with him?" Dan asked

"He's my boyfriend!" Blair yelled in frustration "God, I don't even know why we're talking about this because this is my life Humphrey. I don't owe you anything" she said as she began to pace the floor before she came to a stop "The sad thing is that I don't even truly remember how it went to that" she said as she looked off in to the distance as Dan felt some bit of hope

"Well maybe you never slept with him? Maybe you think you did or you did stuff?" Dan immediately suggested

"Stuff like what?" Blair asked as she laughed in disbelief "I haven't even done that type of stuff with you, I wouldn't be so bold to do it with Louis" she said

"I'm just trying to understand this Blair!?" Dan exclaimed "You don't remember, so how can you say you truly slept with him?" he questioned

"Because my intent was to sleep with him!" Blair stated quickly in response "After we talked, everything was so confusing and tense…I just felt overwhelmed because I was with another guy while I'm making out with my ex-boyfriend at a wedding. That wasn't me Humphrey, you may think we didn't cheat but I felt guilty. I felt so guilty that I felt like had to prove that I was over you. I had to prove that the kiss was just a mistake and that it was us being caught up in the moment. So I went over intending to sleep with Louis….I remember kissing him and taking clothes off…" she began to say before Dan rose his hand to stop her

"Stop. Stop. I've heard enough" Dan said as he looked away

"That night wasn't about hurting you, it was about me and what I wanted" Blair stated

"Did you get what you wanted? I mean besides sexually speaking. Are you clear on what you want?" Dan asked "Because that's the part I'm confused on. You hang out with me but you have sex with him. We shared that….you were my first, we were supposed to…" he said as his emotions got the best of him "I know that we broke up, but I just thought we'd find our way back to each other. I thought we'd always have that" he said as a tear rolled down his cheek

"Clearly if I slept with Louis, then there's something there. I can't help what happened, but I know I don't want to hurt you. I didn't want to lie to you…but I have to give my relationship with Louis a chance. I have to let you go because before the problem was you but now…I don't know and that's scaring me more than I ever thought" Blair cried as they stood in silence "We're becoming a broken record because if we were supposed to be together….we would have found our way to each other by now. It'd be so undeniable for us to be together that we couldn't fathom not being together….and I'm not sure we're there anymore. I'm not sure there's any solid reason beyond us being scared to try with other people that keeps us together" she continued to say through the tears

"Blair…" Dan began to say as Blair was sure that he was going to say something that would make her want to stay. Something that would make her believe that she didn't break the one bond she cherished most between them.

"I have to go. Thank you for tonight" Blair muttered quickly before she made her way out of the townhouse while all Dan could was watch her leave. Falling to the floor as he felt every gust of wind go out of him, Dan swore he was having a heart attack as the last thing he expected was for her to say that to him.

* * *

**[Three Days Later]**

Smoke filled the air as each boy sat around the table puffing on their cigars. In a less than traditional way, Carter had thrown together a Pre-Baptismal Poker Party for both Dan and him. At first, Dan questioned if that was the route that they should take since baptisms were about purifying yourself for the righteous path with God, Dan quickly learned that his train of thought didn't match up with the motto of the Upper Eastside, any event in one's life was an excuse to throw a party. With the different faces gathered around the table, Dan never thought he'd have a night where he was in close proximity with Nate Archibald, let alone with Chuck Bass on a volunteer basis. Though Tyler was a newcomer to the group, Dan was quickly noticing that he was fitting in nicely to the group with the occasional look from Nate that was a bit hard to decipher as pleasant or hidden anger.

"Okay, what do we have boys?" Carter called out after he passed out the card "Who's losing money and who's in the hunt to gain?" he asked as he looked on at his cards

"Fold" Nate said as he threw down his cards

"Same for me" Chuck sighed as Tyler looked over at Dan with a bit of a grin

"I'm just…I know nothing about poker, but I know that I'm not winning" Tyler laughed as he threw down his cards

"I think I've got it" Dan said as he showed his cards before the boys groaned

"You're not supposed to show the cards" Carter told him as Chuck laughed

"I never took Humphrey as one that didn't know poker etiquette" Chuck replied "And why are we using poker as a way to celebrate your baptized?" he then questioned as he looked over at Carter

"Why are you even getting baptized?" Nate then questioned

"If you all must know…" Carter began to explain

"I really don't care to know in the fear of me hating that I do know" Tyler said

"As I was saying. Humphrey and I are taking a righteous path…" Carter began to say once again

"Oh, so you weren't all ready on the righteous path with all the morals you possess and all?" Chuck asked in a teasing manner

"I can actually answer that…no. Apparently fornication is wrong, which doesn't exactly make me eager for our fake baptism" Dan laughed as he showed that he could take a joke

"Wait, what? No fornication as in no sex?" Nate questioned

"We're supposed to preserving our bodies for the one's we shall spend an eternity with" Carter replied "I preserve my body, just not in the ways the church wants me to" he then joked as the guys laughed

"You clearly don't buy in to the beliefs of the Catholic church, so why make a mockery of a sacred tradition?" Tyler asked

"Because I want to say I'm with God. I can be plus one on everything now. I'm rolling with G-O-D type of thing" Carter laughed

"And this is where not knowing the thoughts of Carter is a good thing" Dan said

"I miss fornicating, very much" Tyler sighed as he began to play with his cards

"What exactly is your story? I mean we know that you're Blair's brother, which is surprising all in itself, but yet we know nothing about you" Nate questioned

"What exactly do you want to know?" Tyler asked

"Are you going to answer truthfully?" Chuck asked

"I have nothing to gain from a lie" Tyler replied "I mean it's clear that in some way, I've effected each of you, unintentionally with my job. I may be the quote, unquote villain of the circle but I'm not that guy, I could never be that guy. So if it will make accepted or make you all comfortable, just ask me whatever you want to know" he said

"What did Hazel put in her time capsule?" Carter blurted out as a random thought as the guys just looked at him "Like you guys don't want to know. The girl thinks a mini van is a car to strive for in life" he then stated

"I'm not privy to that information, I just collected the videos" Tyler replied

"Oh well, then I really have nothing to ask of you then" Carter replied as he went to collecting the cards

"Why'd you run the story about my family?" Nate then asked

"Your family is in the public eye. I was brought on to cover a rumor, researched it and got leads. The editor liked it, got an earful from the pleasant Blair Waldorf, but in the end it was printed without my consent" Tyler said "I wrote the story, but once I realized what it might do…I seemed to have hazed judgment these days about this world but I work around sharks, who are eager about the story than the people" he said

"And you? Are you a shark?" Nate asked

"I'm not looking to destroy people" Tyler replied

"What'd you gain?" Chuck asked "I mean surely a story of outing an Archibald got you some bit of praise amongst the small media circle. What'd you get out of the deal?" he asked as a silence came between them all while Carter sat unsure if this was the tension filled moment that would ruin the night.

"I got offered a job at Los Angeles Times" Tyler revealed

"Well, at least you're going to a publication I like" Nate said as he let out a laugh "It's fine. I'm not even mad anymore because sooner or later, the secret would've had to come out. I've been dealing with that for the longest and now I just feel free…I can breath" he said

"I just don't understand how you can be gay when you had sex with Serena van der Woodsen?" Carter asked

"Everyone has their list of who'd they liked to be with, doesn't mean it goes beyond that" Chuck stated

"Have you gotten it out of your system? I mean you as the married man is still taking time to get used to. I have to be honest, I'm still waiting for you to screw up" Dan asked as he looked over at Chuck

"Sadly, I keep waiting for myself to screw it up, so you and I are waiting for the same thing Humphrey" Chuck laughed to himself "Jenny and I still have much to learn about each other" he sighed as the latest issue of kids seemed to make him sad without him even realizing it

"I don't think your bad for her. I originally despised the idea of you even being near my sister, but I've seen a maturity in her…and I suppose I have to credit you with that" Dan said as he felt some bit of an urge to be nice to Chuck "You're good for her in ways that matter to her, and she's happy so…I guess I've accepted a Bass is in the family" he told him

"Wow, how did those words taste coming out of your mouth?" Carter asked as both Nate and him looked surprised

"Like vinegar" Dan joked as they all laughed

"See, my baptismal is bringing us all closer" Carter declared happily

"Though I did owe you that compliment, I have to admit something…" Dan said holding the group in silence "I wrote Insider" he said as Chuck and Nate looked at each other in disbelief for a moment to see that it wasn't all to surprising to everyone else

"Asshole" Nate laughed as he shook his head "Always expect the unexpected" he laughed as they all seemed to find a common bond for the evening to just let the challenges they all faced fall to the wayside.

"Though I'm not proud of the book after it's said and done, I will get a shot to redeem myself with work I'm proud of" Dan told them

"What? Are you going to write my coming out story?" Nate asked jokingly

"That'd be an interesting twist with a sequel to Insider, you should remember that as your not writing the book Carter" Dan replied

"Oh, I've come up with my plots. Chuck is a Parisian monkey handler while Tyler is a man obsessed with goat fur while eating beef jerky" Carter said

"And the logic again" Tyler laughed at Carter's response

"You won't have to worry about seeing your characters in my pending book, so that's my baptismal promise or whatever" Dan said

"Congrats to your sham of baptismal" Tyler declared

"Congrats on reaching a new low even for you" Chuck said as he looked over at Carter as the boys just laughed

* * *

Buttoning up his shirt, Sean looked over at the clock in a panic, knowing that he was late for this pre-baptismal party that Tyler told him about. Sean wasn't quite sure if a Pre-Baptismal party even truly existed but he realized that the unexpected was always a thing he liked in the Upper Eastside. Rushing out of the bedroom, Sean grabbed his watch that was on the dresser before he made his way towards the restroom. Opening up the door to the restroom, Sean completely forgot that Serena was taking a shower inside. As he opened the door, Sean got a full frontal view of Serena naked before he quickly closed the door. Leaning up against the door, Sean could hear Serena scurrying around the restroom before he began to pace the floor nervously trying to figure out how he could be so stupid. Pacing the floor, Sean couldn't help but admit that the sight was pretty good, if not all that he expected, but he had to remind himself that he was a gentlemen so those thoughts would quickly flee. Once the door opened, Sean quickly turned towards Serena.

"I didn't mean…I'm sorry…I completely forgot…" Sean began to struggle for words

"It's okay. Well it's kind of not, but then I'm a guest in your house and it's been a few days of me being here, so I can see how you can forget that I was here" Serena then reasoned

"I didn't forget, these past couple of days have been great….I mean you're not as annoying as I thought you would be" Sean quickly replied without realizing it

"Glad to know" Serena laughed as she stepped aside so that he could enter to grab his toothbrush to begin brushing his teeth "Where are you going anyways?" she asked grabbing a towel from the cabinet in the bathroom

"Some Pre-Baptismal party at Victrola" Sean told her

"Oh, that baptism for Dan and Carter" Serena laughed "I forget how anything can literally give way to a great party idea" she said as she began to towel dry her hair

"Yeah well, I won't be too long. I don't want you to get all nervous about being here alone" Sean said as he brushed his teeth

"I'm a big girl. I can managed being here alone. Besides your place is kind of comfy" Serena smiled

"And my place happens to be in area that you're not too familiar with. You could go out for a muffin and then get mobbed or something" Sean stated

"Do you always worry this much? I mean I bet Rochelle feel overwhelmed with your protectiveness" Serena said as she made her way in to the living room

"She doesn't complain, especially since we're kind of on a break" Sean told her before he spit out what was in his mouth before gargling. Turning the lights out in the bathroom, Sean continued to finished getting dressed as he made his way into the living room.

"Oh no. What happened?" Serena asked

"Please, this coming from the person that berated me for staying in the relationship" Sean replied

"I berated you for staying for sex, but then you gave me that who spill about you not being that type of guy. I was really rooting for you two, she's nice" Serena told him

"It was never going to work" Sean sighed

"Why?" Serena asked as she looked at him, making his heart beat a thousand times faster

"She didn't make the heart beat faster, and I kind of want the girl I'm with to make my heart beat at a rapid pace" Sean said as he looked on at Serena with sincerity in his tone

"Aww, you're sweet. See, this is why I want you to meet the right girl. You're a great guy, great friend. You've been dependable for me in every way that counts, I just want the girls to see what they can get with a guy like you, like I do" Serena smiled at him

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Sean asked "What you see in me?" he asked feeling a bit nervous that she may actually be thinking about him like he thought about her

"Well, I just mean that you're the kind of a guy that girls will spend a lifetime never getting over and a lifetime trying to find" Serena reasoned as she brought her knees up to her chest making sure to not grimace too much in front of Sean

"Yeah, I get that but the you part…and we're so getting a cast for you wrist, so you might as well stop faking it" Sean told her becoming more anxious by the minute

"I meant…I never thought I'd need you as much as I do. Oh God, I hate talking like this, it sounds so sappy" Serena said feeling embarrassed

"No, it's okay" Sean told her as he wanted her to continue her train of thought

"You're always there…you…you're someone that I expect to be there now" Serena nervously went on to say "You're the kind of guy I'd…." she began to say before her cell phone began to ring causing Sean to feel anxiety over the words she was going to say

"You could answer it later" Sean quickly stated without thinking as he just wanted Serena to finish the sentence before she looked on at her caller identification

"It's Jay" Serena said after she took a few moments to look up at him while Sean felt the routine rejection that was from the girl that he was secretly falling for unintentionally. Answering the phone, Serena got up from her seat "Hey" she said weakly as she headed in to the bedroom

"And now I need to go to this party" Sean sighed as he didn't feel the need to stick around to listen to Jason and Serena talk.

* * *

Getting out of the taxi, Blair nearly forgot to pay the driver as she felt like she was trying to juggle everything in the moment. After paying the taxi driver, Blair took to answering her e-mails to the many important messages that she had to deliver with an answer in a timely matter. Along with the raise, Blair found that her usual responsibilities had been multiplied by three as she found every bit of her day she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Getting the alarm that the deadline was soon approaching for Bex to have the receipt for the Sledneb purchase, Blair quickly purchased the stock on her phone while trying to juggle her credit card in hand. Getting the final confirmation number needed, Blair breathed a sigh of relief until she found herself bumping in to Dan.

"Sorry" Blair said as she tried to put her card away in her purse while trying to balance her cell phone that was in the crook of her arm

"It's fine. I was a bit eager" Dan laughed nervously as he looked on at Blair trying to juggle everything in her hand "So Eleanor has been calling about this doctors appointment…" he began to say

"Doctors? Is that today?" Blair asked nervously

"No, it's next week" Dan told her "I was just wondering if you were going because I didn't want to hog a moment if you were planning on just going by yourself with him" he reasoned

"I haven't really given any thought to it, seeing as I have a million things going on. I'd most likely be going because she wants me to go, but you can go if you want" Blair said

"You're the daughter, I'm sure she'd like you there" Dan told her "Maybe Tyler and you can go with her. That'd make her day" he smiled weakly

"Maybe" Blair smiled weakly "What are you doing here?" she then asked

"I have a meeting with my publicist" Dan replied

"Oh…well, I won't keep you from that because I have work. I've got to get to work because that's where I have to be right now" Blair said as she began to back away

"Have a good day" Dan told her

"What?" Blair asked

"I said have a good day" Dan told her

"You too Dan" Blair said awkwardly before she scurried inside her building. Standing in confusion, Dan simply shook his head as he knew that as crazed as she was, Blair was still a girl that he had yet to figure out. Making his way inside the restaurant, Dan was instantly lead to the table where Alessandra sat.

"Alessandra?" Dan asked as she quickly got up to greet him

"Daniel Humphrey, it's so nice to meet you" Alessandra smiled as she leaned in to hug him before they each took a seat "It's finally nice to put a face to the man behind Insider, which is a question filler by the way with how that all went down" she said

"It's a long story that has an eventual satisfactory ending" Dan told her

"So, we have a lot to get in to. I want to hit the ground running with you. I want to get you the exposure before the book, and hone your writing skills because it is a little rough but nothing we can't fix with a few retreats" Alessandra said excitedly as she began to go through her files

"Wow, you have files" Dan noticed

"I've been assigned to you and I plan to help you" Alessandra smiled "I will just need you to fill out this profile that we put on all our writers for the website and event purposes. We need to know how to market you, know what you stand for" she said as she slid the paper in front of him

"What was your defining moment as a writer?" Dan read to himself before looking up at Alessandra

"That should be an easy one. Sort of like going back to the beginning for you" Alessandra smiled as Dan couldn't help but force a smile.

* * *

Standing off in the back round, Chuck sat on top of the counter as he listened on to Bart's business advisor give advice on what to do with the latest matter dealing with Bass Industries. Chuck wasn't privy to all that was going on with Bass Industries since he put all of his attention in to Victrola but he still liked to keep his interest in the family owned business to appease his father. Though he didn't have to vie for his father's attention with Humphrey no longer working at the company anymore, Chuck still found that he had to make himself useful to the company in his father's eyes. Coming to his conclusion on the matters of the factories Bass Industries owned in Bahatma, which dealt with international sales of Bass Industry marketing and enhancement products, Chuck couldn't help but come to his own conclusion on the matter.

"I strongly advise this Bart" The financial advisor told him as a silence came over the room, which left Chuck pondering if he should ultimately come forward with his opinion

"I think we should close the factories down. It's too risky and with the warfare breaking out, it will only get worse for the company" Chuck stated

"So now you know what's in the best interest of the company?" Bart asked

"I know that it being discovered that we have unpaid minors working in the factory, it will look bad" Chuck replied "You forget that we used to vacation there, I've seen all the factories and they're less than satisfactory" he said

"If we shut down the factories then we'd be losing over thirty percent in business, did you miss that part?" Bart asked

"A thirty percent that will potentially kill us in the long run with all the media backlash. Are you not seeing what the Archibald's are dealing with? I can only imagine it'd be worse for you" The financial advisor said

"I think I can handle it from here" Chuck said as he showed the advisor that he didn't appreciate the comment about Nate. Looking over at Bart to confirm whether or not he should leave, Bart nodded in agreement that he should leave as he obliged. Closing the door on the man, Chuck turned to face his father. "This factory is not worth the backlash. Close it and build up outsourcing offices in the area" he told him

"Building require permits and money. I don't have time to deal with the government over there" Bart told him

"What do you hope to gain by this? I mean you will lose more than you will gain if you continue to turn a blind eye to it" Chuck said

"This factory, this particular factory enables us to profit more overseas, which allows us to have sustainability in our business in the states. We start closing factories then we lose international and it hurts us state wide" Bart said as he leaned back in his chair "You do know what I'm referring to right?" he asked as Chuck just laughed to himself

"And puts you out of the running for the Maxwell. So glad that you've changed father" Chuck replied "This will blow up in your face and then that will definitely put you out of the running for the Maxwell. Eleanor owns and has always will be the only contender to the Maxwell" he stated

"How is your wife son?" Bart then asked trying to change the subject on Chuck

"Why?" Chuck asked

"I want to make small talk with you. Indulge me" Bart said

"My wife is doing good" Chuck replied as Bart turned to look at him

"Focus on your life son. Business will always be here but a wife is something that doesn't last long in our line of work" Bart told him as Chuck looked at him strangely

"Heed my warning father" Chuck said as he turned to walk towards the door before he made his way out.

* * *

In the board meeting, Blair tried to listen on diligently as Bex went over the upcoming issue with everyone. In this issue, it would feature a piece that Blair was working on with Louis, which made Blair a bit excited but wondering where Louis's head was at. Coming in to the meeting, Blair and Louis had made eye contact with each other as she didn't even know that he had returned. Blair attempted to say something to him but Louis would only meet that with a look of irritation like she was bugging him or he was trying to avoid her with every fiber in him. Concluding that Louis was just frustrated with the cutbacks that were being made to the magazine, Blair didn't make much of his behavior at the meeting. Once the meeting was over, Blair walked back with Bex to her office as Bex went on and on about the success of the meeting. On the way back, Blair couldn't help but notice the usual gossip hounds of the office giving off whispers about Blair and pointing over in her direction. Not wanting to give it too much of her attention, Blair just tried to go about her day in a professional manner.

"I think this next issue will be my all time favorite" Bex smiled as she walked over to her desk only to see that Blair was looking back at the girls gossiping "I wouldn't pay them any mind, every office needs the typical group of girls that have nothing better to do" she said as Blair turned her attention towards her

"Huh?" Blair asked

"I saw you looking. Don't worry about them" Bex laughed as she sat in her chair "So I greatly appreciate the purchase you made of the sledneb stock" she said

"I wished I would've got to it sooner, but the human resource department was slow on giving the company card. It was a bunch of run around nonsense, so I just went ahead and purchased on my credit card" Blair said "I hope that was over stepping my bounds" she said

"No, no. I mean it wasn't idea since that was a heavy amount to pay. Eleanor either gives you a hefty allowance or you save your money well" Bex concluded

"Well, I save but I used the family account on this one" Blair replied just as Louis made his way inside the office to hand Bex a file. Turning her attention from Blair to Louis, Bex looked on at the file

"How was she?" Bex asked

"Usual, cold and distant. Wasn't my cup of tea" Louis sighed

"It's The Madame, what do you expect" Bex laughed as Blair's ears perked up at the sound of the name as it didn't take her long to conclude that Louis had gone to see the Madame. Noticing that Blair was on a thought process kick, Bex looked over at Blair with a bit of a smile on her face as Louis peeked over his shoulder to notice the same thing "Are you intrigued?" she then asked

"You saw The Madame?" Blair asked as she looked over at Louis "Is that where you went to?" she then asked

"I don't recall having to tell you my whereabouts" Louis replied as he sighed

"I wasn't….I just thought that The Madame was this untouchable and unforeseeable person that was controlling the workings of this office" Blair smiled weakly

"That's a bit naïve, don't you think?" Louis asked as Blair began to question why he was so cold to her

"The Madame is real. She's a bit aloof when it comes to business, but that's why she trusts us to take care of it for her" Bex replied as she could sense the tension between Louis and Blair

"I need to go. Call me with numbers on the shoot, I want to start picking locales by the end of the week" Louis told Bex before he made his way out of the office. Not really paying any attention to what Bex was about to say, Blair quickly followed behind Louis trying to catch up.

"Louis. Louis" Blair whispered loud enough so that he could hear before he reluctantly turned around

"What do you want Blair?" Louis sighed as she couldn't help but notice the eyes of the office on them

"Why are you being like this?" Blair asked of his behavior

"I'm acting like a man that has a million things to do, with little time to do it in. I can't exactly put my attention on you at the moment" Louis replied

"I'm not asking you to" Blair replied

"Good, then you'll know that I have things to do" Louis told her before Blair grabbed on to his arm

"Can we at least get together tonight?" Blair asked as she couldn't help but hear snickers come from the girls while Louis looked even more frustrated with her request "I meant…can we talk. I have a lot of questions that I want to ask you about that night that I'm a bit unclear about" she said

"Questions? I think it was pretty self explanatory as to what happened but even if, I don't have time to go over our personal lives right this moment. I have work to do" Louis told her "Now please, stop embarrassing yourself and get back to work, and that's a request as your boss or else you'll get docked on pay" he told her as he looked at her sternly before he walked off leaving her behind

"I heard she seduced him" One girl whispered

"No, I heard she waited for him naked in his car and begged him to be a part of that photoshoot" Another girl whispered

"The only reason why she got the promotion was because she slept with him" Another girl added "I heard the sex wasn't even that good" she then added as Blair just took in what was being said as she just couldn't believe where these accusations were coming from. Turning back towards her office, Blair couldn't help but make eye contact with Bex as if Bex was watching her of some sort. Typically, Blair would have no qualms of addressing the gossip head on since she knew the source but a part of her just wanted to retreat and hide. Unsure of why Louis was acting the way she was, Blair's level of confusion had went in to overdrive as she wasn't even sure how others knew that she had slept with Louis. Putting her head down, Blair tried to avoid the other girls as she just tried to keep her dignity as she headed back to her office.

* * *

Tossing yet another stack of papers aside, Dan groaned in frustration as he endured the task of going through his earlier work that he had written as a kid. Tyler laughed to himself as he went through the pages trying to help Dan find that moment, but he too was beginning to see that there wasn't really a stand out moment. Getting up from his seat on the sofa, Dan walked in to his kitchen to grab a beer out of the fridge as he grabbed another for Tyler. Heading back in to the living room, Dan could see that Tyler had given up on his search as well and he couldn't blame him. Handing Tyler the beer, Dan walked over towards the sofa to flop down as all he could do was look on at the floor filled with manuscripts that he had written over time that he had dug up so that he could write his paper.

"Why are you we doing this?" Tyler asked "I mean it's provided much laughter of your insight as a teen, but why?" he asked

"Because my publicist wants me to define myself as a writer" Dan sighed

"And you don't know that?" Tyler asked

"Not currently. I mean I do, but in between these manuscripts and the one I just wrote….the gap of definition has been blurred" Dan told him

"Aww, the evolution of Dan has messed with the defining the writer knowledge" Tyler concluded "Well it seems like in every manuscript I've read, the thing that defined you was a certain blonde" he said

"Who I'm not with and who I ended up cheating on with her best friend" Dan quickly replied "So therefore that moment is dashed" he said

"Not exactly. I mean your reason for writing all these melodramatic stories was due to…..a party, in which you got a glance of her" Tyler stated "The moment you realized you loved her" he said

"But I don't love her" Dan concluded

"True, but in these manuscripts she inspired you. You wrote thousands upon thousands of words about this girl, which evolved due to love, due to this party in which you realized you loved….Serena van der Woodsen" Tyler told him

"So you think I should revisit this teenage love?" Dan asked "Are you insane?" he asked

"Maybe, but I'm a person that believes sometimes going back to see what was there can inspire you going forward" Tyler said "Look, it's clear that you in present life aren't in love with Serena but the old you was. You have to go back to that moment and figure out why the past wrote all of these manuscripts and hopefully you'll find another reason" he said

"Go back to the party that happened when I was fifteen?" Dan asked

"Go back to fifteen and maybe your twenty year old self will understand" Tyler said

"I feel like I should dust off a N'SYNC t-shirt on this journey back to me" Dan laughed to himself

"You'd be truly pathetic if you did have such an item" Tyler replied

"Everything about me is pathetic in this moment" Dan said as he groaned in to the sofa pillows.

* * *

Standing off in the kitchen just sipping on his beer, Sean looked off at the television for ESPN highlights of the games while Serena was in the living room with the team doctor. Luckily, Sean was good friends with the team doctor, who worked part time at one of the major hospitals in New York so he was able to get supplies to give Serena a cast. Gary was a bit skeptical as to why Serena hadn't been in to the doctors to get x-rays but he trusted Sean enough to not ask too many questions on the matter. Looking over to see that Gary was finishing up on Serena's cast, Sean finished up his beer before throwing it in the trash. Walking out to join Serena and Gary, Serena began to look on in pure dislike of her less than fashionable cast that she was sporting. Pulling out a couple of dollars out of his pocket, Sean handed it over to Gary.

"Thank you for the help" Sean said as he reluctantly handed over the money which Gary had to pry out of his hand

"You owe me beyond this" Gary replied as he pocketed the cash

"I owe you, you owe me. Can't we work this out with twinkies and cake or something" Sean joked

"Twinkies I think not. I saw the new contract deal coming your way, you owe me" Gary laughed

"So you heard, huh?" Sean asked "Have you by any chance heard the dollar amount as well?" he asked with curiosity

"That I have yet to find out, but this is New York, the land of overpaid athletes" Gary said "Well I need to get back to the hospital, if you have anymore problems I strongly suggest you get that checked out at a hospital" he said as he gathered his material together to leave

"Thanks once again" Sean told him as Serena smiled on at the man while he walked over towards the door

"Call me if there's any problems" Gary whispered to Sean as they stood in the doorway "She's pretty banged up Sean" he told him

"I know but I have to respect her wishes" Sean sighed as he made sure that Serena wasn't listening to them

"Well keep your eyes open" Gary said before he walked off. Closing the door behind him, Sean walked over towards the bedroom to see that Serena had put her suitcase on the bed. Staring at the suitcase, Serena just found herself looking and imagining how she could see herself packing to go back to a place she didn't feel safe in, a place that held such a horrible memory. Standing in the doorway, Sean just looked at her stand in contemplation as if she was stuck between which path to take.

"You don't have to go" Sean finally spoke up as she continued to stare at her suitcase

"I know and I thank you for making me feel that…making me feel welcome other than the pain" Serena said as she continued to look on at the suitcase "It should be simple. I mean Jason's made it safe again, he's taken care of everything that needed to be handled for us to be happy again, right" she reasoned

"Sometimes when a home is violated, the person feels violated as well. You begin to lose that sense of peace because every day you worry is this going to be a good or bad day…I get that" Sean told her

"Do you?" Serena asked as she looked over her shoulder to look back at him

"Serena, if you don't want to go back then you don't have to. I'm sure Jason will understand, you're not married to him. You deserve to be somewhere you feel safe" Sean said as he began to walk towards her

"What? Like stay here? We become roommates or something" Serena joked

"You should feel safe. Regardless of where you are, you deserve to have that feeling" Sean told her as he was now standing behind her with his hand resting on her shoulder

"It's possible for people to become better, right?….like the bad people of the world can turn good if they see what they've done to the person they hurt, right?" Serena asked

"I feel like you want me to give you an answer, give you some sort of reason to either stay or go" Sean said

"What if I am?" Serena asked as she turned to look at him "What if I shouldn't go back? What if it's a sign that I shouldn't live with Jason anymore? What if things get worse?" she began to ask at a rapid pace

"Serena…." Sean said as he felt some inkling of a voice telling him that this was his shot to convince her that he would be able to look after her. He'd be able to make sure she was secure. Sean knew that he was breaking every guy code that went against him secretly wanting his friends girl, but Sean couldn't help as he felt like the words were at the tip of her tongue just eager to come out. "It just seems…it seems like you don't really enjoy being with Jason, I mean that's just from random observation" he said

"Observation by who?" Serena asked

"By me. Look, I've seen how you are and how you seem to be around me….I don't see that all too much with Jason. It's like you're constantly watching what you do or something, like your scared to mess up" Sean said

"I love him…" Serena began to say

"I don't question that but your actions…" Sean began to say

"He's not perfect, but he can be good. He can be that guy that people just fall for" Serena smiled weakly

"But is he that guy for you? That guy that you should be with?" Sean asked

"We're good together. Jason and Serena, Serena and Jason. I mean who else can love after what I've become?" Serena questioned

"You're not a bad person, but you do deserve to be with someone that makes you happy" Sean told her as they looked on at each other for a few moments as Sean went back and forth once again in his head "Do you stay or do you go?" he then asked

* * *

Making his way inside of the bar, Nate walked up to the hostess before he was pointed over towards where Dan was sitting. Thanking the hostess, Nate made his way over towards Dan as he began to relieve himself of his jacket. Greeting Nate once he came over to the table, Dan and Nate took their seats before Nate eagerly began to look on at the menu. Around them, Dan could hear a bit of whispers as the rumor mill only picked up on Nate and his recent coming out story that was all the fuss the past couple days. Expecting that Nate might feel a bit weird, Dan looked over at Nate to see that he didn't seem phased by it. Dan could remember Nate talking about free with his admission but he never expected him to feel so free that it didn't bother him. Noticing that Dan was looking around at those talking, Nate looked up from his menu before he set it aside.

"Does it bother you?" Nate asked as Dan looked over at him

"Does it bother you?" Dan then asked as he felt the real concern should be with Nate

"I'm used to people talking about me regardless of my sexual preference, so it really doesn't" Nate replied "People talk regardless of what I do to make them stop" he told him

"That's a good way of looking at it" Dan smiled "I guess my nervousness comes in because I never expected us to be sitting together at a bar" he joked

"I don't think we envisioned our paths running in to each other at any point but seeing as you're the Insider, I guess we were bound to meet" Nate said "But along the way, I think I do owe you a thank you for how you handled the whole letter situation" he said avoiding eye contact out of embarrassment "That wasn't my finest hour but I'm glad that you didn't take that against me" he said

"You're Blair's friend, I know how she treasures her friends. So I wouldn't love her as much as I say I do if I didn't try to help. It wasn't in my place to confront you but I knew she'd be the perfect person to convince you otherwise" Dan told her

"She's got a way of making you feel stupid and feeling good about it" Nate laughed

"It's a talent that comes in handy" Dan laughed softly "I'm just glad that I could help in any way shape or form because if there's anything I know, it's that you can't help who you love" he said as he smiled weakly before a silence came between them.

"So what did I do to deserve your call?" Nate asked

"I should start by saying that I have to do a bit of research with a profile that I have to write for my publicist, it has to do with how to market me and that whole bit" Dan told him

"So you were serious with this whole you publishing a book thing" Nate said as the waiter came up to the table "I'll have a water" he told the waiter before he looked over at Dan

"A beer" Dan told him before the waiter walked off to get their orders

"Where do I fit in with this whole profile?" Nate asked

"You fit in to the part where I have to go back to a party you threw when we were fifteen that I accidentally got invited to" Dan said

"A party I threw….uh, I'm not sure I can recall any particular parties" Nate said

"This is the pathetic aspect of me, it was your birthday party" Dan said feeling like a loser for knowing such details "Random guys from the water polo team were passing them out in abundance and I got one by chance. I thought this is cool and so I stupidly went because I was invited" he said

"You really felt like an outsider, didn't you?" Nate asked noticing Dan's babbling moments

"You have no idea" Dan laughed as the waiter came back with the drinks and began to set it front of them before walking off.

"Okay, now I seem to remember" Nate said as he took a few moments to think "I think someone got their foot stuck in a toilet that night" he then added

"Because that's just the thing" Dan replied sarcastically "Tyler thinks that that night was the beginning of what sparked my writing from then on out, and I think it was because of Serena because I think almost ever person was in to the Serena appeal" he said

"So you became a writer because you were in love with Serena?" Nate asked "Humphrey this has morphed in to a strange conversation because I'm not sure how I can answer this for you" he said

"I just…I'm not even sure why Tyler thinks this is the ample route to take" Dan laughed nervously "That night…I fell in love with the blond. This so called love for this blond sparked stories of teenage angst that are very much pathetic now that I look back on at it but…you still have no clue as to what I'm alluding to, do you?" he asked as he noticed a blank look of confusion

"If we're talking about my fifteenth party, then you'll be sad to know that Serena never attended that party" Nate said

"No, no. Serena was at that party, I mean she had the whole Serena appeal thing going with people gawking over her and stuff. I even remember Katie, now that I think about it, I remember her clearly being with Serena. You guys were standing at the counter area of the club and you guys were talking" Dan babbled

"It's creepy that you have that good of a memory, but I can assure you that it wasn't Serena that you were looking at or falling for" Nate said before he let out a laugh

"What's funny? My whole writing career was based on lies, my love life was a lie, a pre puberty love life but still" Dan told him

"Because I think you'll begin to realize how funny fate works out" Nate laughed to himself before he began to recall the moment vividly.

_**[Flashback- The Grandfather; Blair's P.O.V.]**_

_**Looking on at the list, Blair sat in utter rage as she just couldn't believe that something she had campaigned so hard for had managed to find its way into Serena's grasp. Slowly but surely, Blair felt as if that was becoming the motto to her life, whatever she wanted, Serena got. The one thing that rang clear in Blair's mind was the fact that the teacher mentioned that Serena's victory had come to no real competition, when Blair had felt somewhat secure coming into class that she would win "Most Likely to Succeed". Looking over at Katie and Serena talk about the award, Blair couldn't help but see a look on Katie's face that let her know she felt a twinge of guilt. Blair wasn't quite sure why she jumped to that conclusion all of a sudden, but Blair knew Katie better than anyone, enough to know that Katie had succumbed to peer pressure. Once the bell rang, Blair immediately followed Katie and Serena out into the hall.**_

_**"I can't believe you" Blair told Katie as they stopped off at their locker**_

_**"What?" Katie asked**_

_**"You voted for her" Blair replied as Nate walked over to join the girls**_

_**"Wait, I thought you were going to stay impartial?" Nate asked as he looked at Katie**_

_**"I just forgot. I got the paper and my mind went blank. I just put names down" Katie reasoned**_

_**"So Serena just happened to pop into your head under Most Likely to Succeed?" Blair questioned**_

_**"Uh, you do know I'm standing right here, right?" Serena told her friends wanting them to realize that the disbelief in her success was somewhat offensive**_

_**"You knew I wanted this. Serena was going to win Best Personality, by default of course, but this was my category to win out the rest" Blair told Katie**_

_**"Blair, I'm sorry. I just blanked" Katie said**_

_**"How do you just blank on something like this?" Blair asked in disbelief**_

_**"Blair, it's really not that big of a deal" Nate told his girlfriend**_

_**"Figures you'd say that" Blair muttered to herself as once again Nate took no stance when it came to Blair**_

_**"I refuse to think this was going to make or break you B" Katie told her friend "This was just another round of you trying to beat Serena" she said**_

_**"All of which you initiate" Serena added**_

_**"I initiate it because it's either you being gawked at or listening to how great Katie is. If we're the Charlie's Angels, I'm the Lucy Liu of the group due my pure intellect" Blair said as Serena just laughed at Blair's comparison**_

_**"So what would that make me? Cameron?" Katie asked as she closed her locker door to lean up against it**_

_**"We're escaping the point" Blair quickly replied "I should've gotten that title" she said**_

_**"B if it makes you happy, I will decline the award. I mean let's be truthful here, me succeeding would have to come with many miracles attached to that" Serena laughed**_

_**"Don't say that" Katie told Serena "And don't put your worth on a stupid title that we'll all most likely forget by the end of the week" she said**_

_**"I doubt I'll forget since it was an obvious betrayal" Blair told her**_

_**"Betrayal? Someone intentionally trying to hurt you, all while being nice to you is a betrayal, not an honest mistake" Katie reasoned "Now I think this is just this competition with Serena that is getting the best of you" she said**_

_**"What competition?" Serena asked "I'm unaware of this competition" she added**_

_**"Thank you for the two back handed insults, they did hurt as much as a regular slap" Blair replied sarcastically**_

_**"Okay, you want competition, I'll give you competition. You spend a night in her shoes, and you in hers" Katie posed to the girls**_

_**"That sounds interesting" Nate laughed**_

_**"Now you're being ridiculous" Blair said**_

_**"I'm being for real. You'll never understand what Serena is dealing with, and you'll never understand what Blair deals with until you just take a walk in the others shoes" Katie said**_

_**"How exactly is this going to win me my title?" Blair asked**_

_**"It's not about the title. It's about you understanding each other" Katie reasoned**_

_**"I'm game for the understanding, but how exactly will this work?" Serena asked**_

_**"Simple, Blair will do everything you have to do tonight, and you will do everything Blair has to do" Katie said "Which means you'll have study sessions for about two hours, while Blair books jobs for your next modeling gig" she said**_

_**"I don't model" Blair replied**_

_**"Tough, you're going to do it" Katie quickly replied**_

_**"Studying and more studying…that sounds horrible" Serena said as she processed what it would be like to be Blair for a second**_

_**"I would hang out with you, but Blair believes I'm a distraction to her learning process" Nate said**_

_**"A distraction that I could get over" Serena said hoping that Blair would make a compromise with her**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

Sitting in disbelief, Dan wore a look of confusion on his face as all Nate could do was laugh to himself while he snacked on the nachos he had ordered. Waiting for Dan to come back to reality after the story he had told him, Nate just waited before Dan finally came back to the present.

"Katie came later because she was able to sneak out…" Nate began to say

"Was this the night that she?…" Dan asked

"No, it was a few days before but she was there" Nate told him "So, you're blond wasn't exactly a blond as she was in a wig pretending to be Serena in the effort of understanding" he laughed

"But it looked so real?" Dan questioned

"Fooled me a couple of times but it was all Blair" Nate told him

"So the blond was the brunette…" Dan began to conclude

"The same brunette that you eventually cheated on the blond with. The same brunette who's virginity you took. The same brunette that you moved in with. The girl you fell for, was the girl you really fell for" Nate told him as Dan still sat in confusion.

* * *

Shutting down her computer, Blair began to gather her things as she prepared to leave. Waiting a bit longer than normal as she wanted to avoid the mean girls of the office, Blair felt a bit relieved that she had finished up all that needed to be done for a good days worth of work. Diligently taking her side as she left the office, Blair let out a yawn once the elevator doors opened up as she reached ground level. Saying her goodnight to the security team, Blair made her way outside. Not wanting to hail a taxi, Blair waited for Henry to come to pick her up and in the mean time she would use the time to go get a cup of coffee. It didn't take long for her to receive her coffee before she headed out to the front of her building to wait once more for Henry to arrive. As she walked back towards the building, Blair couldn't help but notice Louis's laugh as he came out of the restaurant that used to be their spot on long days of work. Hearing two sounds of laughter, Blair soon saw a woman draped all over Louis as the two seemed very cozy together. Dropping her coffee to the floor, Louis looked up to see Blair standing there.

"You're Blair Waldorf" The woman said enthusiastically as Blair just looked at her with no bit of emotion coming through as she was just numb. Feeling a bit awkward, Louis turned to the woman

"Do you think you can meet me back at my place?" Louis asked as Blair felt like her heart was sinking even further in to the pit of her stomach at the blatant disrespect

"Are you sure?" The woman asked

"Yes" Louis smiled before he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek

"It was nice to meet you" The woman said as she walked past Blair and began to hail a taxi. Moments of tension filled silence came between them as Blair just clenched her fists tight.

"So that was your work that you had to do?" Blair asked in disbelief "To have a woman draped all over you?" she asked

"Blair…" Louis began to say

"No, don't speak because I'm pretty sure you'll say something that won't rectify this situation" Blair replied angrily

"I wasn't going to" Louis said as Blair tried and tried not to cry in front of him

"So what? Were you using me? I don't hear for you for over a week and when you return your cold…why? What did I do?" Blair asked

"We were never together" Louis told her

"We slept together!" Blair yelled "I call that together in my book" she exclaimed as she took a moment to control herself "I don't sleep around with random guys…" she began to say

"No you just like to screw the old ones" Louis replied

"Are you serious?! This little display is because of my friendship with Dan?" Blair asked in disbelief

"You're a liar Blair. I get that I hold an appeal to you because of my position at work, but you're just like every other girl" Louis began to say

"No, don't you dare compare me to the snakes we work with. I worked hard, I never once used what was going on between us to advance in any way. Those were my ideas you presented for photo shoots, I came up with The Victorian theme, I'm the one that got locals to model for the St. Bart shoot…." Blair began to say

"It's always about you" Louis laughed "That's how it's always going to be and I'm realizing it clearly now" he said

"If you think that's what I'm about then maybe it's best you meet up with your little girl toy" Blair told him

"You think you're better than everyone. You walk around thinking that your ideas are superior, your family is superior, you in general are just God's gift….well, you're wrong Blair" Louis said as he walked towards her so that she couldn't avoid his gaze "You're nothing without me. You're nothing without the power I gave to you" he said before he slowly brought his hand up to her face "You held a certain fascination to me, I admit. A fascination that I let get the best of me. Having you was what I wanted, having you in any way I wanted…" he said before Blair slapped his hand away from his face

"Don't touch me!" Blair said through gritted teeth

"It's okay. I think I can muster back the bits of disgust of touching you" Louis smirked "You're body was less than to be desired, you've definitely got the trickery down. You could stand to lose a little bit, maybe pick up with the barfing habits again to lose a pound or two…I mean that was what you were in to in your high school days, right?" he asked

"I'm done with this conversation" Blair said as she attempted to storm off but Louis just stood in her way to prevent her from going

"You're nowhere near perfect, nowhere near the person I'd like to be with. I mean I'd be an idiot to be with someone that was once had bulimia. Imagine us at a fashion show and then it being revealed that the very thing fashion is steering away from, you have. You're what I hate about this industry Blair and that fascination kept me from seeing that" Louis told her "So no, I don't think you sleep around but you won't have to worry about me ever wanting or desiring to touch you. You're like the Arabian horses my father owned; rode hard…then put away wet" he said before Blair finally shoved him away from her

"Get out of my way" Blair cried as she just couldn't stop herself from shedding a tear

"Now you're crying" Louis laughed "You can cry all you want but it won't change the fact that you are just like every girl to me…you mean nothing and you are nothing but a spoiled trust fund kid" he told her as he walked towards her once more "And now…I'm done with you" he said before he walked off. Wanting so bad to retaliate in some way with her usual biting words, Blair found that she reverting back to that girl that was so insecure and torn about what her worth was. The one person that she thought saw her potential in this industry was the very person that saw her as nothing. It was in that moment where she truly began to feel like she was nothing.

* * *

Beginning to wake from the sounds of the television, Jenny opened her eyes to see the bright colors of the infomercial glaring back at her. Rubbing her eyes, Jenny looked over at the clock to see what time it was to see that it was going ten o'clock. Letting out a sigh, Jenny began to question if she heard Chuck come in or not while she was sleep at any time but found the little noise that was in the apartment coming from the television screen to be a sign. Grabbing the remote, Jenny turned off the television as she began to look on at her notebook full of homework. Noticing the brochures that were scattered on top of the pages that were of the colleges that her counselor thought she should apply for, Jenny reached over to grab one of the brochures as she began to read them to herself. Hearing the sounds of key jiggling, Chuck made his way inside the apartment surprised to see that Jenny was still up.

"Hey" Chuck said as he walked over towards the sofa to kiss her on top of her head before taking a seat beside her. Stretching out, Chuck couldn't help but notice the college brochures that were on the table

"Hey" Jenny replied as she noticed his stare turning to the brochures

"Oh, you had that meeting with your counselor today" Chuck said as he continued to look on at the brochures

"Yes. It went good. We just talked about the regular" Jenny replied

"Does the regular always include college brochures?" Chuck asked as he leaned forward to grab one of the brochures "We got Stony Brooke University, Concordia University, Fashion Institute, St. John's University, University of Rochester, and Syracuse University" he read to himself

"Yeah, it was just a few that my counselor said that I could late admission in to" Jenny said

"I thought you were going to a Junior College until you got the jest of college life?" Chuck asked

"I do but I want to keep my options open" Jenny told him "I mean I was thinking that I could take classes at the Fashion Institute and then take that internship that Eleanor gave to me" she said

"Fashion Institute would be practical, especially if Eleanor could help you out" Chuck said

"How would it be practical?" Jenny asked

"I mean these schools cost money. I'm sure you'll get scholarships but tuition would still be a factor we have to consider. The Fashion Institute could be feasible if we cut corners here and there, but again Eleanor could help" Chuck told her "It's all about the practicality of it all" he said smiling weakly

"Thank you for the great support" Jenny sighed

"I'm giving you support" Chuck replied

"No, you're basically saying that I should go this college because maybe Eleanor can pay for it or get me in. I don't want to rely on Eleanor as some sort of a meal ticket. I can get a job if I don't get enough scholarship money" Jenny stated

"I wasn't trying to be discouraging" Chuck told her "I just thought we were taking a feasible route with you going to Junior College" he said

"And maybe I want the option of going to university" Jenny quickly replied "We don't always have to plan for things, it can just be good opportunities that we take" she said

"I understand that but…you know what, I'm not even going to retaliate. I'll just leave it as your decision" Chuck stated "I just thought one thing because you told me it was going to be one way but then again I also thought we'd have kids, so it's yet another thing I have to get used to changing on the cuff" he said as he got up from the sofa

"So this is you getting over the kids issue?" Jenny asked

"This is me not saying something I will regret" Chuck said as he made his way in to the bedroom.

"And this is us being mature" Jenny said to herself as she sighed in frustration

* * *

**I wish I could tie you up in my shoes**

**Make you feel unpretty too**

**I was told I was beautiful**

**But what does that mean to you**

**Look into the mirror who's inside there**

**The one with the long hair**

**Same old me again today**

Shuffling through the room, Serena grabbed the pile of clothes that she had tucked away neatly in her arms. Walking over towards her suitcase, Serena was about to put the clothes inside before she stopped for a moment. A slight pause as she began to question her decision for the millionth time. This was her chance to get out. This was her chance to really think if the relationship she was in with Jason was what she truly wanted. This was her chance to evaluate her life, evaluate the fact that she felt stronger with him by her side rather than standing on her own. She could think of millions of common reasons as to why she should leave a situation she was hiding from those closest to her but it was the smallest phrases of love that he gave her that seemed to negate all that was logical.

_'You're the only one that I feel comfortable enough to see me at my weakest'_

_'You belong with me, by my side'_

_'I love you more than you'll ever know'_

_'You're the only one that can calm me. You know my darkness, and you accept it'_

She could say to herself that she was making a mistake, being with a guy that she feared to leave in fear of what he may do to himself but it was her love that made him privy to her heart and her soul. Her love for him that he knew how to play upon to inspire that a change would come, to inspire that they could be that fairytale that she always wanted and needed. Love was supposed to hurt, that was the only way you knew it was worth it; she said to herself before she confirmed her decision to leave by placing her clothes inside the suitcase. Maybe this time it'll be different, she said to herself as she continued to pack.

**My outsides are cool**

**My insides are blue**

**Everytime I think I'm through**

**It's because of you**

**I've tried different ways**

**But it's all the same**

**At the end of the day**

**I have myself to blame**

**I'm just trippin'**

Stepping off the elevator, Blair stifled the tears that she had shed the entire ride home. If she could just hold on long enough until she got to her room was all she kept saying to herself. Running up the stairs, Blair quickly went in to her room as she slammed the door behind her. Stopping short of her path towards the bed, Blair felt every bit of control slip away from her as she fell to her knees in tears. Stifling her sobs so that she wouldn't disturb her mother. Covering her mouth, Blair cried and cried until her soul literally ached. Maybe she was illusion of power, maybe the beauty that she thought she possessed was just one of her crazed logics, maybe she was as ugly as she once perceived herself to be. Rampant thoughts tore here from one extreme to the other as she wasn't sure anymore what voice she should look for. It was easy to say that it's one persons opinion but it was the opinion of someone that saw beautiful women on a daily basis that critiqued the very soul of what she thought she had blossomed in to.

**You can buy your hair if it won't grow**

**You can fix your nose if he says so**

**You can buy all the make-up that M.A.C. can make**

**But if you can't look inside you**

**Find out who am I to**

**Be in a position to make me feel so damn unpretty**

Making her way in to the bathroom, Jenny made sure to close the door quietly so that he wouldn't hear that she was awake. Not turning on any lights, Jenny used the light from her cell phone to look over the brochures that she had carried with her. Smiling and picturing herself at these colleges, Jenny felt a bit of enjoyment as the thoughts of going to these Universities were appealing in every way. Looking up from the brochure, Jenny saw the newly bought packet of birth control pills that she had picked up herself that day. Grabbing the packet, Jenny opened it up as she looked on at the pills as if she was examining it. As she was going down each aisle, Jenny sighed in frustration because she felt like she was losing trust in the person she had married. He was the guy she had trusted her heart with, so why was she going behind his back buying birth control and checking the pills like he was some common criminal. She loved him, that much she knew was true to her very core but she began to question how much love she would have to have in order to concede in to the idea of having kids. If she loved him, she should give him kids like a married man and woman are supposed to do she thought to herself. Tears welling up in her eyes, Jenny felt overwhelmed with the prospects of having to choose between how much you love someone and doing something you never saw yourself doing in the first place.

**I feel pretty**

**Oh so pretty**

**I feel pretty and witty and bright**

* * *

Pulling up in front of the house, Sean looked on at the front door to see that Jason was slowly appearing in view. With her turned in that direction as well, Serena looked back at Sean to see that he was still looking towards the door. Breaking his stare, Sean felt the warmth of her stare as she could say every bit of gratitude that she felt but it would never cover how grateful she was to him. Giving her the weakest of smiles that he could muster up, Sean popped the trunk before getting out the car while Jason came out with flowers in hand. Grabbing her bag while Jason hugged and spoke of how much he missed her, Sean lingered a bit in the back as it appeared to hurt more than he thought it would by being here. He had half the mind to send her back with someone else but the only thing forcing him to return was the fact that he was driving Jason's car. Finally coming around to see the couple in an embrace, Sean wanted to believe that Serena was hesitant to kiss the man she was supposed to be in love with but then he just knew that it was his eyes wanting to see what they wanted to see.

"So how'd you like the car?" Jason asked

"It was nice. Good drive" Sean replied not really interested in talking with his teammate

"Congrats on the contract. I heard you got a hefty amount coming Rook" Jason smiled

"Yeah, ten million in guaranteed. My agent is still working out the details but so far it's good with management" Sean said "Have you had any progress on your contract?" he asked

"Not yet. I'm sure they're waiting for us to win the championship in order to finally pay me my rightful cut" Jason laughed "You know, why don't you go inside and get unpacked. Everything has been replaced like it was before" he told Serena as he turned his attention towards her

"Sure" Serena smiled weakly "Thank you Sean" she said before she turned to walk away

"You like her, don't you?" Jason asked as Sean got caught up in watching Serena walk away

"Huh?" Sean asked being torn abruptly from his thoughts

"The car. You like it" Jason smiled "She's a beauty and isn't bad on the premium gas" he said

"Actually thinking of getting one with this new cash flow coming my way" Sean tried to joke but found that his heart wasn't really in the mood to laugh "I guess I love what you love" he said as he began to run his hand along the side of the car

"You can have it now" Jason told him "You can buy ten if you heart desires" he smiled

"Maybe" Sean replied

"Well you should keep her a bit longer. Give her a good ride" Jason told him

"No, I can't" Sean told him

"Nonsense, it's yours. My gift to you for looking after Serena" Jason told him

"You don't have to reward me for looking after her, you guys needed a friend and I was there. That's all there was" Sean replied

"And as your friend and teammate, I want you to have this for all that you've done. If you're ever going to get on my level, you have to at least play the part. Get like me Rook, you'll be around longer" Jason smirked as he began to walk towards the front door "I'll give the pink slips tomorrow at practice" he said as he continued to walk towards the house before he finally closed the door behind him. Looking on at the keys, Sean felt even more disheartened as the one thing he wanted that Jason had within his possession was the one thing he could never have. She loved him, it was plain to see was all Sean kept saying to himself. All Sean will ever get from a guy like Jason Peters is his leftovers that he was done with while he enjoyed the finer things that people cherish. Just as he turned to head towards the drivers side, Sean heard a sound from the bushes.

"Psst!" The neighbor next door called for him as she waved him over

"Me?" Sean asked as he pointed to himself as the neighbor continued to wave him over

"You're friends with the couple?" The neighbor asked

"Yes" Sean replied

"I was here that night of the supposed break in, and I can tell you that you don't know the truth" The neighbor said

"What does that mean?" Sean asked unsure if he should be talking to the woman

"I heard the noises and the screams" The neighbor said

"Yeah, from the guy that broke in" Sean concluded

"I was sitting on my porch that night. I get hot during the middle of the night, so I sit out with my glass of water. I can tell you there was no break in" The neighbor told him

"Okay, then what happened? because the house was clearly trashed" Sean asked with a bit of laughter as he was preparing to hear some crazed story

"I believe he's got anger issues. I wake up some nights to hear nothing but him yelling. He's just so angry that it scares even me" The neighbor said

"Video games can get competitive" Sean joked

"No, no. I mean it, I swear on my life from his anger and the screams I've heard come from that house, it wouldn't surprise me if he strong arms that young woman" The neighbor said

"What? Like hit her?" Sean questioned

"She never leaves the house without being accompanied and the last time I spoke to her, she had bruises all on her arm. She said she fell coming out of the shower but I've seen that house when it was on the market, walk in showers are hard to fall in" The neighbor said "I put it on my grandchildren that that man hits her" the woman continued to say as Sean began to think to himself and truly process the idea. Could the break in be a sham for what was really going on? Was Jason the one that attacked Serena he thought to himself as he looked back over at the house.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator, Dan looked at his watch to see that it was well in to the night that he found himself arriving at the penthouse. Luckily he had a good standing relationship with the security team that allowed him access to come to the penthouse so freely since he was practically like a son to Eleanor. The darkness let him know that mostly everyone was asleep, which wasn't a surprise to him. Holding one of his manuscripts in hand, Dan contemplated on leaving as it was crazy for him to be here that late at night anyways. Just as his thoughts got the best of him, Dan began to walk towards the elevator doors before he once again found himself stopping short of the elevator. Biting his lip, Dan thought to himself for a moment before he eventually turned to head up the staircase. Intending to leave the manuscript with her, Dan kneeled down before her door to slide it under but couldn't help but hear crying sounds come from the other side. Slowly rising to his feet, Dan opened up the door just a smidge to see that she was sitting on the floor surrounded with tissue paper as she was a complete mess. Looking up from her sobs, Blair saw Dan standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Blair asked trying to wipe away the tears so that he couldn't see them "I thought you were supposed to call before you come over?" she asked

"I was going to but I kind of had to come by…what's wrong?" Dan asked as he couldn't shake the look of concern from his face "May I enter?" he asked

"You're going to anyways" Blair replied

"Most likely but I want you to feel like you have some bit of control in this" Dan joked

"You can come in Humphrey. You can do as you please as you always do" Blair exclaimed sarcastically as he closed the door behind him before he walked over to sit beside her

"What's with the tissue paper?" Dan asked as he nudged her with his shoulder as he bumped against her

"I'm seeing how many I can get through in one evening" Blair replied

"And the tears?" Dan asked

"I'm seeing if I can drain all the water out of my body. Water weight is a bitch" Blair replied as Dan just laughed

"You know I'm not leaving until you tell me" Dan told her "I'm more than capable of sleeping on a floor" he said "You want me gone, you're gonna have to talk to me" he said

"Talking to you wouldn't help because you'd only be part of the problem" Blair said

"How?" Dan asked

"Don't play dumb Humphrey, you think I'm some whore for sleeping with Louis, which I officially feel like among other things because the guy I slept with just basically said I was nothing to him" Blair said "So having you here only makes me feel like an idiot and the whore that I am for sleeping with a guy I barely knew" she told him

"Blair, I think you're a lot of things but anything degrading to you as a woman would never be one of them…" Dan began to say

"You think I'm a bitch" Blair quickly stated

"That's so not true" Dan laughed "Look, regardless of what you think I think, you should know that I would never see you as a whore or anything else degrading" he said "I guess the male pride in me couldn't handle the thought of you being with another guy. I always thought I'd be that guy that you'd be intimate with just like I want you to be for me" he told her

"We're not together Humphrey, you had to have suspected it might happen" Blair reasoned "Not that I'm proud of my choice but in my heart I knew there was a possibility you may be with another woman" she said

"I guess that's true" Dan said "I don't know what Louis did or said, but I can assure you that he's completely wrong because as a guy that was your first, you'll always be a tough act to follow in my book in the dating and sexual sense" he said

"That sounds so shallow" Blair said through tears before she leaned over to hug him "I need to hear that" she told him as he just laughed before she pulled away "Do you still feel the same way about my body as you did the first time?" she asked "You know if you could think back to the last, numerous times we had sex" she told him

"I still love your body" Dan told her

"You're not just saying that are you?" Blair asked

"When you love someone, you love every part of them. There's no room for discrimination in love" Dan told her as Blair felt the tears coming to stop since this talking thing was actually working for her. "And I don't worry about my number one spot anymore because I know in the end, I'm going to be your last" he smiled before he got up from his seat beside her

"And how do you know that?" Blair asked as she looked up at him

"Because you were always my destination" Dan said as he handed her the manuscript

"So the way to cheer me up is supposed to be by me reading about how much you loved Serena?" Blair questioned

"I fell in love with a blond at Nate's fifteenth birthday party. I wrote books after books about the blond because I believed that she was just misunderstood, no one took the time to get to know her, see beyond the façade that she put up…" Dan began to say

"I think I get the point Humphrey, you just need to get to it now" Blair told him as she looked on at the manuscript

"The only problem is that the blond wasn't Serena" Dan told her "The books were inspired by someone else, the driving force to my ideas of love and how this one girl could change my world if I just had the nerve to talk to her or even be in the same space as her, this one girl held my fascination so that I wrote about her" he said

"And you decide to go down memory lane because of what?" Blair asked

"Because I had to find out what I stand for as a writer" Dan told her

"And did you?" Blair asked

"Yeah, I believe that even though life can suck at times, it's the journey that makes it worth it because then when you have what you've always wanted you cherish it more than anything as you know you've fought and believed in it so that it came to life. I'm the writer that will give you the journey" Dan told her as he wore a smile on his face before he turned to leave

"You said the blond wasn't Serena…then who was it? Who's the girl that inspired you so?" Blair asked

"You" Dan told her as she just looked at him in confusion before he eventually turned to leave. Sitting in a state of confusion, Blair quickly reached under her bed to pull out a box full of items that she kept. Sifting through the items, Blair finally saw the very item that he was referring to.

"The blond wig" Blair said herself as she looked on at the wig that she wore to make herself feel like Serena that night.

_**[Flashback- Nate's 15**__**th**__** Birthday]**_

_**Giving the weakest of smile to the numerous guys that were smiling her way, Blair tried to play coy to it like Serena would but found that playing the role of Serena after a while was a bit taxing. At first, Blair was enjoying the attention and looks that the blond wig gave her but she only felt like she was being an imposter in her own body. Even if she did enjoy it for the night, Blair knew that she'd have to go back to be plain old Blair. Nate had given her the most attention he had ever given her but again she feared it was because she looked the part of Serena van der Woodsen to him, which did little to help her insecurities. Noticing that Blair was beginning to wane on the Serena character that she was playing, Katie nudged Blair as Blair looked over to see the warmth of Katie's smile that let her know that the message had gotten across to her.**_

"_**You win. I understand what it's like to be Serena van der Woodsen. It's being Blair Waldorf that I don't seem to know how to do" Blair sighed**_

"_**I think you do it perfectly" Katie told her**_

"_**I'm no comparison to Serena, which I'm not trying to be but I guess I want the looks like she gets. I want to have the appeal that she seems to have" Blair told her "I want the guy that I love to see me as his only in every shape and form. I want all of his heart, not just some of it" she sighed as she looked over at Nate talking with his friends**_

"_**You will, whether it be Nate or someone else. I happen to believe that someone will cherish who you are and who you're still striving to be. You're a destination Blair Waldorf, not a stop" Katie smiled**_

"_**Would it be wrong to want said guy to go through the process of making me fall for him? I don't want lust, I want the guy to truly fall for me" Blair stated**_

"_**It's not bad. Some guys like the journey, you just have to be open to whoever the guy may be" Katie told her**_

"_**Yeah, he still needs to fall under Upper Eastside standards though then it wouldn't be love, it'd be a tragedy" Blair quickly replied **_

"_**You never know, you could find the love of your life is from Brooklyn" Katie teased**_

"_**That'll never happen" Blair laughed**_

_**[End of flashback]**_

Sitting in shock, Blair couldn't believe that it all seemed to come flooding back in that moment. A declaration that she thought would never come true was coming to full fruition, she was someone's everything without even realizing it. Getting up from her spot on the floor, Blair quickly rushed towards her window to look down to see Dan waiting for a taxi. A slight laugh of disbelief came to her face as just when she thought there was no road for them to take to bring them back together, Blair realized that the roads were always supposed to come together in the first place. She was his destination and he was her wish come to life.

"Damn you Humphrey" Blair said to herself as she watched him leave

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used in this Chapter**

**Glee Cast- I Feel Pretty/Unpretty**

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the read.**

**Dan/Blair- I wanted them to kind of reconnect in a new way while finding another reason why they have to be together. I wanted to show they belong together for Blair's sake since she seems to be hesitant on account of setting Dan back, but now it negates her argument because she's been the driving force all along. I also liked that Dan was the first guy to truly make her feel good about herself and then the same guy that makes her feel good even when she's made to believe that she's less. I wanted their bond to go beyond sex and them being each other's first time but being able to talk to each other in a way that they can't with others.**


	21. ExHusbands and Wives

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your reviews and feedback on the previous chapter. I greatly appreciate it. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Author's Address to Questions:**

**How long does it take to write chapters?: It takes me a day and a half if I'm not busy, maybe three if I am.**

**How do you procede when write a sequel?: I feel like that's a set up question. Lol. I listen to a lot of music and think of storylines. I believe songs have a story behind them, so I think of the characters then think of what path I want to take them on that is logical to their path all ready.**

**Do I brainstorm?: Yes. I use my notepads unlike any other.**

**Do I send stories to someone?: Yes. I mostly just get feedback on if the storyline is good or too crazy, luckily I haven't gotten bad news so far.**

**Are you planning a SEASON FOUR?: Uh...I can neither confirm or deny. I would say that I'm looking for a more interactive way to post my stories. Maybe tumblr or livejournal, but I want to make it easy access to the chapters. Start like a blog or something. So if you have any ideas I would love to hear them, but otherwise I'm still on the fence.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Twenty- Ex Husbands and Wives**

* * *

**And I always find, yeah, I always find somethin' wrong**

**You been puttin' up wit' my shit just way too long**

**I'm so gifted at findin' what I don't like the most**

**So I think it's time for us to have a toast**

**_TIP #1- Are you ever afraid of going home? Does your partner make you feel unsafe?_**

Getting out of the shower, Serena wiped the mist from mirror before she looked on at reflection in the mirror. Seeing herself, truly seeing what she had become, Serena could see the bruises that were once on her naked body but were slowly fading away. Even though they appeared to go away, Serena knew that they once existed and still do. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at the girl and she knew this wasn't what she wanted to be, but it's the only thing that she knew how to be at this point. Hearing the sound of the door close from downstairs, Serena flinched as she felt every part of her stomach churn with anxiety as she knew he had made it home.

**Let's have a toast for the douchebags,**

**Let's have a toast for the assholes,**

**Let's have a toast for the scumbags,**

**Every one of them that I know**

**_TIP #2: Does your partner regularly insult you?_**

Sitting at opposite ends of the table, Serena picked at the food that he had bought home for them. Trying her best to eat, Serena knew that if she didn't at least attempt to finish the meal then he would think she was being ungrateful. A few days had passed and things were a bit better, but no significant sign showed that he was becoming what she first met him as. Management kept yanking his chain about contract negotiations, which only made him a loose canon when he came home or if he came home. Staring at her plate trying to figure out what to eat, Serena soon felt the salt and pepper clash against her hand as he had slid it forcefully towards her. Groaning in frustration, Serena didn't have to guess what was getting to him, it was about money, it was always about money with Jason these days.

"You're not fucking appreciative. They're not fucking appreciative. No one is fucking appreciative!" Jason yelled "What do I have to do to get some respect around here?!" he asked angrily

"You shouldn't let work get to you like this" Serena softly replied as she wasn't quite sure how he would respond

"Do you understand how fucking stupid that sounded? That was dumbass logic from a dumbass" Jason laughed to himself

"Please don't talk to me that way. I get that your upset but I'm not your enemy" Serena replied as a silence came between them while Jason just stared at her for a few lingering minutes.

"Don't talk to you that way or what?….are you going to leave me?" Jason asked as he threw his fork and knife down before leaning back in his chair. "Are you going to leave me?!….answer my damn question, are you going to leave?" he asked as he began to pound on the table to get her attention which only caused her to jump in fear

"I didn't say that" Serena replied before Jason quickly got up from his chair and walked over towards the entry closet. Grabbing her bag, Jason began to throw her coat and keys in to the bag while Serena just tried to stay cool as she felt herself crumbling inside

"If you leave me, this is what you will leave with" Jason said before dropping the bag on the table. Looking on at the bag, Serena saw a bullet inside the bag as all she could do was look confused. "It's in there. It's not a mistake" he told her as he could see she noticed the bullet

"What is this supposed to mean?" Serena asked as she looked over at him in fear even though she tried to hide it. Leaning in closer, Jason grabbed the back of the chair.

"It means the only way you'll leave me is through death" Jason told her in calmest of voices like it okay to say what he said "I will kill you before I let you walk away from me to be with someone else" he told her as tears began to well up in her eyes. Grabbing her jaw in one swift motion, Jason squeezed so tight that Serena swore her jaw would break "You're mine and you will always be mine. Don't you ever forget that!" he yelled before he threw her face away. Plates crashed to floor as he walked away causing Serena to just close up like a shell as what was supposed to be a simple dinner had turned in to one of those nights with them.

**Let's have a toast to the jerkoffs**

**That'll never take work off**

**Baby, I got a plan**

**Run away fast as you can**

* * *

Hearing the banging sounds come from the door, Dan quickly woke from his slumber as he sat up in the bed. Looking over at the clock, Dan saw that it was seven in the morning before he began to rub his eyes. Hearing the banging sounds continue, Dan kicked back the covers hoping to avoid falling out of the bed but didn't manage to avoid it completely. Stopping himself from falling to the floor completely, Dan breathed a sigh of relief before he made his way out of the bedroom. Playing with his matted down hair, Dan walked down the hallway, letting out a yawn at every step he took since he still wasn't quite awake. Opening up the door, Dan quickly felt a gust of Chanel number eight pass him as she was rambling at a warped speed and pacing the floor. Turning to look at her, Dan wanted to be sure that it was Blair that he was seeing and not some ghost that came to life in his imagination. Closing the door behind him, Blair made her way in to the kitchen to put on a pot of hot water as she gathered the items she'd need for her usual morning tea.

"Waldorf, are you aware by any chance that normal people like to sleep in?" Dan asked in between yawns as he walked over towards the sofa to lay down on it.

"All the more reason to be up early. Normal wait for the day to come to them, I chase after the day" Blair smiled

"Good to know. Excuse me while I go back to sleep" Dan muttered as he clenched on tight to the pillow

"No, you can't go back to sleep because I need you" Blair stated as she made her way in to the living room. Popping his head up at the sound of that phrase coming out of her mouth, Dan looked at her with confusion as this admission of need had come easier than he thought. "Not in that way. I need you as in service" she said as Dan once again looked at her with a bit of a grin that let her know that was the wrong statement to say as well "Okay, get your mind out of the gutter. I need you in a scheme" she then told him before he took to hiding his face in the pillows.

"Good night Waldorf" Dan muttered through the sounds of the pillow

"Humphrey, I've come up with a fool proof plan that I need you to help me implement" Blair said

"I have work" Dan told her "You know a job, one that you should be at instead of hounding me about a scheme" he told her

"First of all, I don't have work today, thank God. You can't possibly work on weekends at the newspaper" Blair told him

"I have to finish an article, we go to the press on Monday" Dan told her

"So just do it from your computer here" Blair reasoned as he popped his head up to look at her

"Why do you need me?" Dan asked

"Because your smart and quick on your feet" Blair quickly replied "I need my qualities to be somewhat matched for the level of scheme I want to pull off" she said

"You didn't think that when you had to scheme me away from your whole Georgina reveal" Dan stated

"Georgina is your example? Two words for my rebuttal. Physchotic. Bitch. I was protecting you" Blair replied "But that's besides the point, I need your current level of smarts and quick thinking" she told him

"What exactly are trying to do?" Dan asked as he sat up on the sofa while Blair felt like half the battle was over since she was able to move him to a proper sitting position.

"I'm trying to bypass Louis and Bex on meeting The Madame" Blair told him

"Why Bex? I thought you liked her?" Dan asked

"I do, but if I bypass Louis then she'll be compromised since they've worked together longer. So I want to leave her out of this and give the ultimate screw you to Louis without getting debris on her" Blair told him

"Why is getting to The Madame so important?" Dan asked

"Did you not pay attention to anything I said in our relationship?" Blair questioned "The Madame is the pinnacle of my success at Modern. I created the concepts that Louis used for some of the articles and shoots, and since he's on this power trip of me needing him…" she began to say

"You want to show that you can make it on your own merits" Dan concluded as he finished her statement

"Exactly" Blair declared

"So what exactly is said plan, if I should decide to take part in it?" Dan asked as he stretched his arms out on both sides of the sofa "Dazzle me" he smiled

"Okay, first of all, lose the grin. Second, I can't divulge until I know you're in this whole heartedly?" Blair asked

"I have work…" Dan began to say

"Dan, please. I really need your help" Blair pleaded "I wouldn't come graveling if it wasn't important, this is my career on the line" she told him as Dan just sighed.

"Fine, I'm in" Dan told her

* * *

Holding the ball over his head, Sean moved the ball around the other players as he went through the motions of the offense. The coach screamed and screamed for them to be aware of the floating defender, while Sean's main goal was to get out of practice alive. Catching the ball at the top of the key once more, Sean looked over at the mock game clock before he finally just decided to create on his own. Losing his defender, Sean challenged the post as he went up for they contested lay up to get the and one basket. His teammate clapped happily along with management as they were liking what they were seeing from their rookie point guard. Blowing the whistle for the final play, the player immediately walked over towards the bench to grab their waters as Sean couldn't help but scan the seating for Serena. Spotting her, Sean quickly waited until Jason made his way in to the locker room while he hung back. Making his way up the bleachers, Serena looked up from her phone to see that he was coming.

"Hey" Serena smiled as he took beside her "You looked good out there. I'm actually starting to believe that you guys are going to have a good shot at getting into the Finals" she told him

"Yeah, but I don't want to talk about that" Sean said pushing the conversation to the side as he turned towards her "The other day, when I was leaving your place, I ran into your next door neighbor" he said

"Which next door neighbor?" Serena asked

"Does it really matter?" Sean asked

"No, it doesn't matter. I just don't know what your talking about because I don't really talk to my neighbors…" Serena began to say

"Did Jason break your wrist?" Sean quickly asked to where it caught Serena off guard "The whole break in, was that even real or was it something else?" he asked soon after

"Are you being serious?" Serena asked

"Yes" Sean replied

"And you get this from where? Because it's completely random that you're coming up with this…" Serena began to say

"I talked to your neighbor, the neighbor said that there was no break in and that they believed Jason was hitting you because they can always hear yelling come from the house. So I'm asking you, what is really going on?" Sean asked

"And this neighbor is who?" Serena asked

"What does it matter?!" Sean asked "I'm asking you if Jay is abusing you, I shouldn't have to verify sources to you" he told her

"Verify sources can add to credibility, which you have none" Serena replied as she got up from her seat before Sean got up to help her

"I'm your friend, and I can only help you if I know what's really going on" Sean told her

"If you were a friend then you wouldn't have talked to someone about my situation with Jason. If you yourself had these doubts, then I'd understand. But you hear this from someone that doesn't even know me and now you register them as true" Serena said

"I register them because all I get from you is some G rated answers" Sean told her

"Because it's the truth!?" Serena replied angrily "I don't make it a business to put my life out there to everyone more than what they all ready know. I thought you understood that…" she began to say

"I understand that, Serena you can't even stand here and say that I don't. I'm concerned because some things aren't adding up. Key things aren't making sense as to why Jason has no scratch on him in a break in when he's the first to approach the said burglar. The sudden emergence of long sleeves you've been wearing a few weeks ago. Why you were torn on whether to go back to the house…" Sean began to tell her

"Because I've never lived with anyone else!? God, it's a common thing, people get anxiety about stuff like that. I had just been attacked by some random person, tell me, why should I rush back to that?" Serena questioned

"I'm not trying to argue with you. I just want you to stand here and tell me to my face that nothing shady is going on. If you tell me then I will leave it alone, I will not breath another word about it" Sean told her "You just have to give me the word" he told her as he walked towards her so that she was forced to look him in the eye

"Nothing is going on" Serena said through gritted teeth as Sean just looked at her for a few moments getting his own read on her "I can't believe you" she laughed to herself in disbelief before she pushed past him and walked up the stairs to leave. Not buying what Serena was telling him, Sean began to wrack his brain with ways to handle the situation. Pulling his cell phone out, Sean went to a familiar number that would help.

"Hello" Tyler said as he answered

"Where are you?" Sean asked as he made his way back down towards the court

"I'm on my way to see Eleanor, why?" Tyler asked

"I hate to do this but I need to talk to you" Sean sighed as Tyler could tell the frustration that was in Sean's voice.

"Okay, well I'll just make a quick visit but meet me at the bar" Tyler told him

"All right" Sean replied before he ended the call as he bypassed even going to the locker room and just left the practice facility.

* * *

Rolling over on to his stomach, Chuck reached his hand out to feel the spot beside him to feel that he was alone in bed. Waking from his slumber, Chuck looked to get his final confirmation before he rolled over onto his back. Noticing that his phone was beeping, Chuck grabbed his phone to look on to see that he had a few calls from his Uncle Jack. Chuck's Uncle was a rare presence in his life, but he knew that if his Uncle was contacting him it was all in the name of business. Sighing in frustration as any trace of Bass Industry was managing to take over his focus on what should be on a promising weekend for Victrola. Sitting up in the bed, Chuck immediately began to look over his schedule to see that he had a few meetings but made it a point to schedule a time to go see Bart. Reworking his schedule, Chuck became overwhelmed with the smells of a freshly made lunch that Jenny had put together as she made her way into the bedroom with a tray in hand. Placing the tray on the bed before she got on, Chuck put his phone to the side so that he could get to the bottom of what his wife was up to.

"What is all of this?" Chuck asked

"This is me waving the white flag" Jenny said as she grabbed the white napkin as her flag representation

"I'm not mad" Chuck told her as he began to snack on the grapes she had on the tray

"Chuck" Jenny said as she just gave him a knowing look "I know that babies and stuff is something we've never talked about, but I think we're losing focus on the bigger picture" she told him

"Us. You think we're losing sight on us?" Chuck asked

"Yes, very much so" Jenny smiled "I miss you. I miss laughing with you, I miss talking with you, I miss our dates at Victrola, and I even miss the sex" she laughed

"Aw, but the sex was my means of getting you pregnant with my bastard child" Chuck replied as he continued to snack on the grapes "But I understand what you're saying. I miss you" he told her as they looked at each other for a moment before he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips

"I even miss your bad morning breath" Jenny laughed before she gave him another peck on the lips "So eat up and enjoy" she declared as she passed out their utensils so that they could eat "You got a couple of messages while you were asleep, something about an Uncle Jack" she said

"Yeah, he's calling about Bass Industries. It's not a how are you doing nephew type thing" Chuck sighed as he continued to eat

"What's going on with Bass Industries?" Jenny asked

"My father is in partnership with a factory in Bahatma that manufactures our products and handles our international business. The problem is that he's got unpaid minor working which goes against child labor laws in that country and in ours" Chuck said

"So what's your stance on it?" Jenny asked

"I think we should close the factory and pay retribution to the workers to avoid future lawsuits, but he doesn't want to do that in fear of losing our on the Maxwell" Chuck said

"Wait, that's the award that Eleanor Waldorf always wins, right?" Jenny asked "Why is that such a big deal?" she asked

"Every business, savy person wants the award. It's like the trophy to show that you're family is at the top of the mountain while others are just ranks below. Top business woman or man means highest grossing income" Chuck said

"So it's about the money?" Jenny asked

"Basically, and even the nicest of people will dirty their hands for this award and the recognition that comes along with it" Chuck sighed

"Well you should try to convince your father of your opinion and maybe you'll come to an understanding on the matter" Jenny told him

"That's the intended plan" Chuck told her as he moved his plate over to make room for his dessert only to see a formal invitation. Looking up from his tray towards Jenny, Chuck could see a smile from ear to ear.

"I was planning on coming up with a sneakier way" Jenny smiled

"The Spring Formal? Since when did you want to go to this?" Chuck asked her

"Since forever…I figured it'd be a good date night for us, and I've worked on the committee so the tickets will be comp'd for us" Jenny told him

"A dance?" Chuck questioned

"I know the great Chuck Bass doesn't do dances, but I would really love to go and I think we'd have a great time" Jenny told him

"I've never gone to a dance" Chuck sighed "I mean that's a part of the memo on me, no dances" he told her

"Neither was marrying young, and yet here you are, wedding band and all" Jenny said as she held up his hand to show the wedding band "Take me out and then I'll show you a formal thank you that you'll never forget" she whispered in to his ear

"So your propositioning me with sex now?" Chuck asked with a bit of laughter

"Very much so, is it working?" Jenny laughed as she asked

"Yes" Chuck said before he captured her lips with his as he pulled her towards him to deepen the kiss and much more.

* * *

Finishing up his shower, Dan quickly went into the bedroom to towel off and get dressed while Blair worked out the kinks to her plan. Sitting on the sofa, Blair did her usual damage with her blackberry while ignoring calls that were coming in from Bex. Blair hated that she had to put the cold front up on Bex, but she didn't want her problems with Louis to become anymore of office fodder than it all ready was. Blair was an embarrassment to everyone there now and she just wanted to show them that she on her own merits didn't need Louis to be successful by any means. Blair knew that if she was going to go straight for the Madame then it had to be a plan so strategize of being at the right place and the right time. Taking a moment to think over the steps she had gone over thus far, Blair leaned back in the chair and from her view, Blair couldn't help but notice that Dan was shirtless. Unable to tear away like she had planned to, Blair couldn't deny that he still had that effect on her. Dan's body was never an issue for her as seeing him in any form turned her on at this part. She had spent days shelled up in her room reading the very manuscripts that she thought were about Serena, but to find out that she had spurned an artistic side of him that helped him discover his passion only awakened the existing feelings that she tried to supress for his sake. Noticing that he was coming out of the bedroom, Blair quickly looked away and back towards her phone.

"Okay, so what damage have you caused so far?" Dan asked as he took a seat across from her

"Minimal. I have key points but nothing that will give me location on The Madame" Blair replied

"Is she even in the states?" Dan asked

"That is to be unsure. I know that Louis went to see her, but where she is located is unknown to me" Blair said

"I'm getting this whole Charlie's Angel vibe from this…" Dan began to say

"Don't say I'm Lucy Liu because of smarts" Blair quickly stated

"No, because you have a boss that you've never met and yet this person barks out orders that you follow with no questions asked" Dan said

"It's higher ups Humphrey, it's a system best emulated" Blair replied

"Or a system that is shady" Dan replied

"What exactly are you spewing on about? I mean this is The Madame, the little that I have known of her is but sheer greatness" Blair replied "The woman made fashion iconic in the states, the woman created the handbag, the woman made models walking down a thin strip of raised concrete and art. The Madame is fashion" she stated as if she was in a trance

"In that soliloquy did you happen to notice that you have no real connection of getting to said fashion icon?" Dan asked as he got up to get his lap top from the office before walking back to join her on the sofa

"Watch and learn Humphrey" Blair smiled as she took to her phone to send out a mass text to her minions

"Do you ever do your own labor?" Dan asked as he looked at her while waiting for his lap top to load

"I do management" Blair smiled before she was instantly delivered with the news she had requested "Hmm, The Madame is in Long Island" she told him before he to sent out for his information as he typed away. Looking over to see his methods, Blair couldn't help but feel like they were engaging in some type of battle.

"Well if I run through the schedule of events that a person such as the Madame would go to….I come up with Old Field Lighthouse" Dan smirked as Blair took to her methods with yet another text

"Brookhaven, the name in which Old Field is. You should be more concise, details do matter Humphrey" Blair smiled proudly

"Oh, very much so. That's why I found out that there is an auction going on at said lighthouse" Dan replied

"Well it could be some random auction. A person of her stature only goes around other people with the same stature" Blair replied "I mean you have to pin point if she's even at such an event or gallivanting in one of her numerous homes trying to escape the public eye" she said as Dan took to his typing once more which only made Blair even more eager to beat him to information "Stop with the typing!" she declared as she took to her texting in hopes of beating him. Each eagerly trying to find some lead, Dan quickly grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and began to dial the number. Grabbing her cell phone, Blair furiously dialed on her phone "Penelope, move your ass!….I don't care if your grandmother is coding, she's ninety, the end has been near for quite some time" she said before she hung up as she looked over at Dan to see that he was on the phone. Trying to knock the phone out of his hand, Dan dodged her swipes at his phone until he finally reached someone on the other line.

"Yes, I'm….Gayle King. Oprah's other…half. I was calling to acquire about the guest list about tonight's festivities because Oprah as you know is very particular about the company she keeps" Dan said as Blair looked at him in disbelief

"Seriously?! Gayle King. You could at least disguise your voice, you'd get points for that" Blair replied as he put his hand over her mouth to stop her from talking

"I just wanted to be sure that my dear friend The Madame, well that's what I call her….oh, she will. Good" Dan said before he looked over to give a gloating face to Blair as he stuck out his tongue at her to revel in his victory "No, no. You've been helpful in ways…aw, you crapper!" he began to say before Blair bit his hand causing him to cry out. Getting up from her spot on the sofa, Blair folded her arm as she didn't take to defeat well in area she specialized in "You could just take your loss as a learning lesson" he told her

"Okay, so Gayle and Oprah will be there, how the hell do you expect us to get in there with that crowd. Have you factored that in?" Blair asked

"Can't you use your Waldorf card to get in?" Dan questioned

"Waldorf card? There's no such thing. If we get in to this type of event, it has to be through someone that is heavy in the art community" Blair replied as she went in to thought process

"Well I assure you that I know little besides the bits that my mother did, but that wasn't exactly professional art" Dan told her as Blair thought for a moment before an idea came to him

"But I do know someone that you know that is heavy in the arts" Blair smiled devilishly "Bart's always been a collector of the finer things" she told him before she ran over to pull him up from the sofa then over to grab her purse

"Where are we going?" Dan asked as he grabbed his keys

"We're getting scheming attire" Blair said as they rushed out of the townhouse.

* * *

**Hey baby won't you look my way**

**I can be your new addiction**

**Hey baby what you gotta say?**

**All you're giving me is fiction**

**I'm a sorry sucker and this happens all the time**

**I found out that everybody talks**

**Everybody talks, everybody talks**

Coming out the dressing room in his suit, Dan posed proudly as he felt proud with his selection. Blair held her disgusted face pose for a while as she tried to think of the nicest way to shoot down his declining fashion sense in all things menswear. Immediately pulling out her cell phone, Blair began to type on her phone as all Dan could do was wonder what she thought.

"Waldorf, are you going to say anything?" Dan asked

"I'm trying not to" Blair replied as she looked at him "Humphrey, we need to exuberate having money not that we're in need of it so hide your personal items" she told him

"How does this not scream money?" Dan asked

"The fact that you ask that question in a last season Ralph Lauren custom, that let's me know you're more fashion challenged than I suspected" Blair told him before she turned her attention to the sales assistant "We'll try the crème color custom with off shade of green for the tie and powder blue for the dress shirt" she told the girl

"What's wrong with…" Dan began to inquire as Blair just put her hand up to silence him

"My scheme, my attire, my rules" Blair told him as he just groaned in frustration while he headed back to the dressing room.

**It started with a whisper**

**And that was when I kissed her**

**And then she made my lips hurt**

**I could hear the chit chat**

**Take me to your love shack**

**Mamas always gotta back track**

**When everybody talks back**

"I'm thinking Jackie-O, does this say Jackie-O?" Blair asked as she came out of the dressing room to model for Dan. Looking up from his phone, Dan could help but laugh as she modeled in her underwear

"I'm thinking Marilyn Monroe" Dan told her

"Why would I be?….." Blair began to ask before she noticed that she didn't put the dress on that she was hoping for

"Would you like crème color under garments with that?" Dan asked in a joking manner

**Hey honey you could be my drug**

**You could be my new prescription**

**Too much could be an overdose**

**All this trash talk make me itchin**

**Oh my my sugar**

**Everybody talks, everybody talks**

**Everybody talks, too much**

Getting out of the town car, Dan held the door open for Blair before he reached in to help her out of the car. Dressed in their auction attire, Dan couldn't help but like the suit that she had picked out for him as the spring attire was in clear display with the guests that were all ready at the party. Holding his arm out for her, Blair laughed to herself as she linked arms with Dan. Sliding her phone in to view from her purse, Blair looked on at the closest image that was of The Madame that was barely recognizable but Blair figured that she'd have to go off of the features she could see as distinct to find her target. Entering the lighthouse, Blair and Dan stood off by the drinks for a moment before Blair found the closest person that could be The Madame.

"Got her" Blair told Dan as she looked on at him

**It started with a whisper**

**And that was when I kissed her**

**And then she made my lips hurt**

**I could hear the chit chat**

**Take me to your love shack**

**Mamas always gotta back track**

**When everybody talks back**

* * *

Pacing the floor, Sean ran over in his mind all the possible reason as to why things were just starting to come in to play in his head. Moments that seemed off with Serena were beginning to register as what he viewed as strange originally. Every bit of how Jason forced Serena upon him was beginning to seep in his thoughts as it just seemed to play in to the idea that the neighbor had told him. Sitting vigil, all Tyler could do was watch Sean go back and forth as he was sure that whatever had his friend so flustered was something pressing. Tyler knew that when Sean was like this, it was best to let Sean work through it in his head rather than try to pry it out of him. Pacing and pacing, Sean just continued to line up scenarios in his head before he finally just came to a stop. Turning to look at Tyler, Tyler began to perk up as he knew this was his shot to finally say something in what was supposed to be a shared conversation.

"I think it's true" Sean stated as his conclusion

"What is true?" Tyler asked "You haven't quite filled me in on my objective" he told her

"I think what the neighbor said is true" Sean said

"Again, what is true?" Tyler asked

"The neighbor of Serena and Jason told me that she thinks Jason is beating Serena because she hears a lot of yelling" Sean told him

"Okay, you said that he was big into gaming" Tyler said

"Yes, but she said that the break in never happened…that she was sitting on the porch and saw no one escaping the house" Sean said

"Maybe the person took the back way in fear of being seen" Tyler countered as Sean just looked at him

"It doesn't add up. Serena's wrist being broken, her getting the majority of the injuries while Jay has no injury to him" Sean told him

"Some guys get off on trying to hurt the weaker of the genders. Jason was out cold so why waste energy on him…" Tyler began to say

"Then why beat a woman. I mean why not just knock her out cold as well and then move on to the next house" Sean replied

"Look, I can counter act for days on that notion but it just seems that you're trying to find a concrete reason to hold against him" Tyler said

"Because I have this feeling, I have this gut feeling that tells me that it's true" Sean said

"Or is a gut feeling that's allowing you to run with the accusation because of how you feel about her" Tyler questioned

"Don't do that. Don't do the Dr. Phil moment on me" Sean groaned

"You have feelings for her, deep feelings. Feelings that I haven't seen you have for any girl" Tyler replied "I think it's natural that you think you can save her from the obstacle standing in between you two" he said

"And the obstacle is what? Me wanting to rectify domestic violence?" Sean asked

"You trying to find some reason to believe that Serena belongs with you instead of him" Tyler said

"I don't exactly fall for the girl that has a guy, a guy that's given me a shot at my dream but I don't exact condone a guy hitting girl. Never have and never will, you know how long it took my mom to get herself together after my dad finally passed away. She felt peace by him dying because she didn't have to worry about him knocking her around" Sean told him

"I know, which is why I know the subject is sensitive for you. I just want you to think about putting those claims to people without having concrete evidence" Tyler said

"You know I wouldn't just go around accusing, but Ty, I have a gut feeling" Sean told his friend

"And I trust your gut but I also think if your heart weren't involved then you would see it clearly and objectively. Until you have clear cut reason to believe she's being abused then you can't just play hero" Tyler told him "Does Serena even give you any indication?" he asked

"Serena makes everything brief when it comes to Jason and her" Sean replied

"See, if she doesn't give you any indication then you can't just assume she needs you to save her. Maybe Serena just wants to end things with him or isn't as happy as she perceives and is trying to make it work because of the spotlight Jason has on him" Tyler said

"And what if she's too blind to see that regardless of the good days he may give her, the bad days should never consist of her being knocked around like a punching bag whether verbally or physically" Sean replied before he flopped down in the chair "Abuse isn't one of those things you wake up and say you'll walk away from. It gets so engrained in you that you just actually think you deserve to have someone hitting you, you believe that your in the wrong for someone else's anger. Abuse slowly cripples you to where you become numb to it, nothing registers in that persons mind that the situation their in is wrong, it's all about the hope for the good days, getting to those good days so they can have something to hold on to so they can weather the bad days. I can't give clear indications because there isn't any clear indication that she's told me. I can have a list of things to look for but I may find three that suit the situation as of now but abuse gradually gets worse because that person allows it to, so what part do I wait for? Do I wait until she's laying up in a hospital? Do I wait until I visually witness him beating the crap out of her? What part do I need to wait for in order to step in and say finally I have my evidence?" he questioned "Waiting can be all find and dandy, but waiting can also get a person killed because in this whole scenario of waiting….you could find yourself waiting for something that may never come" he told him

"You're a good judge of character, so I won't tell you what to do. As your friend, your best friend…I advise you to be smart about this, judge both sides before jumping in because you may have her best interest at heart but she may not see it that way" Tyler told him "Just be smart on this" he told him once more as Sean just hung his head in a bit of defeat. Walking towards his friend, Tyler rested his hand on Sean's back as he knew what this was doing to his friend. "You can't fight your father through him" he whispered as he could hear the muffled tears come from his friend "I know we'd like to go back and rectify what was wrong in our pasts, but sometimes what's wrong teaches us to fight to do right in our future. We can't be hero's, all we can be are people that try to be a positive in a world full of negative" he continued to say before Sean leaned back in seat wiping away the bit of tears that he let show.

"I hate talking to you" Sean sighed "You know me too damn well" he groaned as Tyler laughed

* * *

Finishing up his meeting with yet another investor for Victrola, Chuck felt thrilled that Victrola would receive an increase in funds that would allow him to bring home a bit more money. Typically, Chuck would've been all about the money with Victrola but he saw that with the hard work and effort that he was putting in, the rewards came slow but they came. Victrola was his business and it was a business that was ran in the way that he wanted it. Chuck knew that a minimal of Carter's cut went to Dominic Nicks, but there was nothing he could do to prevent that if it was helping Carter get out. Getting up from his seat, Chuck made his way into the office to put away his files and contracts that he had just completed with the vendor. Hearing the sound of the door opening, Chuck looked over thinking it was Jenny but saw that it was Nate. Quickly putting his stuff down, Chuck walked out of the office to join his friend at the bar.

"You look like crap" Chuck observed as he grabbed their choice drink before pouring into the glasses

"Went to a brunch with my family, The Captain said little to nothing to me. Once the camera crew left, The Captain pretty much left" Nate said

"So he still hasn't come around?" Chuck asked

"He hasn't even gone on the path to try to accept and understand me" Nate replied

"So I'm guessing this makes the offer that GRC gave you that much appealing" Chuck told him

"I'm not trying to be a poster boy for the Gay Rights Committee" Nate told him "I know that it would make their day to get me as spokesperson but I'm trying to figure out myself what this all means" he said

"I think you understand what it means to be gay because you are. I think you're trying to make people understand that just don't want to understand" Chuck told him as he slid the drink in front of Nate

"They're my family, regardless of how crappy they're being, they're my family" Nate said

"I get that but you've been given an opportunity to be a voice for others that are in the same situation as you" Chuck said

"What? Other rich Upper Eastsiders are scared to kick out their designer closets in fear and with my help they'll finally find the courage to do so. I hardly think I have that much power in this state" Nate told him

"You may think that, but your family has a platform in this present time" Chuck said as he took a sip from his glass

"A platform that's to get Tripp into the senate" Nate replied "They act as if he's the up and coming to the family, like he'll bring the glory back" he said

"The days where The Archibald's held ownership of the most prized possession the Upper Eastside has to offer" Chuck smirked "I should know, The great Bart Bass is preparing for the very award" he laughed

"I'm not trying to deter the spotlight away from my family. I want my family to be respectable" Nate said

"But at the price of you. Nate, Tripp has literally cut you out of the family and you buy this crap that it's for the sake of the campaign" Chuck told him "It's not about the campaign, it's because of a church vote…and you know what comes along with that church vote, the belief that you live the life the church represents on a daily. You know how George Sparks felt about Katie's one indiscretion, imagine how he'll feel that the family he's endorsing is housing a gay. This is all tactical" he told his friend

"I'm aware of what comes along with the church vote" Nate said

"And you accept that?" Chuck questioned "Wow, I get that it's hard but you shouldn't have to be made the black sheep because they can't accept what you want. That's not family, that's people dressing the part as it because family accepted you and had no questions in doing so" he said

"What do you want me to do?! You act like this is easy" Nate told him

"I don't expect it to be easy, but half the battle was admitting it to yourself. Now…you have to stand up for yourself because you're not wrong, you in no stretch of the imagination are wrong to me….they're wrong and you need to realize that" Chuck told him

* * *

Chatting up the woman that she believed to be The Madame, Blair made a mental note to go through the checklist of things that she was sure The Madame liked. The woman for the most part had knowledge of fashion but Blair was sure that with a bit more conversation they'd be able to get to the core details that would show that she was The Madame. Sitting in the front row, Blair occasionally looked down the row to see how Dan was doing with the crowd of people. For the most part, Dan was able to look as if he somewhat belonged amongst the Ritzy crowd, but Blair knew that she'd have to check in on him to make sure he didn't feel completely secluded. Just as Blair was returning to her conversation, Blair heard a bit of laughter come from down the line just as the host made their way to the podium. Trying to ignore the laughter, Blair felt successful at first but it was until she heard the added familiar laugh to the mix that she knew Dan was involved. Leaning forward quickly, Blair spotted that Dan was now being joined by a doe eyed brunette that seemed to have the art of Dan on her mind rather than the actual art. Leaning back in her chair, Blair began to fan herself with the panel as she did her best to get back into the conversation she was having.

"So like I was saying, I think fashion has turned for the better the hand bag…"Blair began to say before she heard his laughter once more

"You were saying?" The woman asked

"I was just saying that…" Blair began to say before she heard the brunette laugh in the manner that was clear that she was flirting with Dan "If you'll excuse me" she told the woman before she quickly got up from her seat. Walking towards where Dan sat, Blair grabbed a glass of cranberry juice that the waiter had on her tray in stride.

Looking up to see Blair coming, Dan kept his smile as he talked to the brunette while wondering what exactly Blair was doing. The closer she got, Dan began to worry even more until the cranberry juice that Blair was holding in her hand suddenly appear on the white dress that the brunette wore.

"Oops, I'm sorry" Blair apologized "The floor boards in this place are just so awful" she then replied as the brunette began to freak out.

"My Adeline Andre!?" The brunette squeeled as Blair gave the girl a pouting face before she quickly turned to leave putting the glass back on the tray of the waiter in stride as she went back to her seat.

**Hey, boy you never had much game**

**Thought I needed to upgrade**

**So I went and walked away way way**

**UhNow, I see you've been hanging out**

**With that other girl in town**

**Looking like a pair of clowns clowns clowns**

**Uh**

Listening on to the bidding, Dan couldn't help but let out a yawn as this was really becoming a borefest for him. As he sat, Dan couldn't believe that he managed to let Blair talk him into coming to an event like this and get in to a scheme like this. Just as he leaned back in his chair to rest his arm in the empty chair beside him, a blonde quickly took a seat in the chair. Surprised by how quick she came, Dan began to speak as the girl smiled on at him but before she could even manage to say anything a paddle came flying in her face. Surprised to see the object, Dan looked forwards towards where the object was thrown to see that Blair was sitting in front of them. Turning around, Blair placed her hand over her mouth in fake shock.

"Oh, my. I got caught up in my bidding that it just flew out of my hand" Blair said as the girl held her hand up to her eye "Do you think you can pick my…" she began to ask before the girl quickly got up to run off "Well that was rude" she said as she turned to look at Dan before he just gave her a look of disbelief.

**Remember all the things that you and I did first?**

**And now you're doing them with her**

**Remember all the things that you and I did first?**

**You got me, got me like this**

**Uh**

**And now you're taking her to every restaurant**

**And everywhere we went, come on!**

**And now you're taking her to every restaurant**

**You got me, got me like this**

**Uh**

Laughing to himself as he read the texts that Carter was sending him, Dan kicked his leg up to where he was comfortable in his seat. Sending a text back, Dan couldn't help but laugh to himself as the running joke between the two friends had him chuckling. Leaning back to look over in Dan's direction, Blair felt relieved to see that he was by himself. Leaning back further, Blair's intuition began to pick up along with her bitch senses to see that a brunette was keying in on Dan. Turning back to her conversation with The Madame, Blair sighed as she knew this would have to be put on halt.

"Excuse me again, this will take just a second" Blair told her as she got up from her seat. The moment was set up perfect for her, Blair saw that Dan was busying with his texting while unaware that he was in sight to be hunt down by yet another brunette. Just as the brunette thought she was in the clear, the brunette began to take a step while Blair put her foot out in passing to trip the girl. A loud thump rang loudly in the door bringing the auction to pause as everyone turned to look over in the direction where Dan sat. Turning in his seat to see the girl on the floor with Blair standing nearby.

"Oh, God. Seriously?!" Dan asked as he looked over in Blair's direction

"Can we please get someone to look at this floor board?" Blair asked as she looked around to the staff as they wasted no time in rushing towards the girl.

**Boy you can say anything you wanna**

**I don't give a shh, no one else can have ya**

**I want you back**

**I want you back**

**Wa-want you, want you back**

Once the auction was over, Dan figured that Blair was going to put in her best work to show herself off to The Madame. Dan knew that this may take awhile as she was the Queen of smooth talking. Walking over towards the bar, Dan ordered his usual beer but found that the bartender was keen on seeing identification. Letting out a sigh, Dan changed his order up to a water. Taking his water to go sit in the back of the room, Dan sat down in the chair as he began to sip his water. Smiling and eager, the red head walked up to Dan as she seemed eager to talk to him.

"Oh, you really don't want to talk to me" Dan said in a fearful tone

"Why?" The red head giggled as she began to get in a sitting motion to sit beside him but found her chair was pulled out from underneath her.

"Because…. of…. that" Dan replied as he watched the girl fall to the floor

"Sorry, needed an extra chair. Hope you understand" Blair replied as she dragged the chair over towards where she was. Feeling proud that she had managed to void another attempt at Dan, Blair sense of pride was soon pushed to wayside as the woman that she thought was The Madame was no longer sitting there.

**UhI broke it off thinking you'd be cryin'**

**Now I feel like shh looking at you flyin'**

**I want you back**

**I want you back**

**Wa-want you, want you back**

**Uh**

* * *

Pulling into the parking garage, Sean looked over at the clock to see that he was still making good time to get in a good workout before getting prepped for the game. On game days, Sean didn't like to come at the normal time as he wanted to get a good rhythm going so that he was ready to go for the game. Grabbing his gym bag from the passenger seat, Sean got out of the car and began to take out his headphones so that he could get in his zone. Walking down the hall of the arena, Sean shook a few of the staff members hands as even though he had moved into a starting position, Sean still wanted to show that he was humble to the people that were good to him as a bench warmer. Bumping into Jason's publicist on the way towards the locker room, Sean quickly began to apologize.

"I'm sorry" Sean said to him as he took his headphones off

"It's okay. So have you given any thought to representation with the media?" Jason's publicist asked

"Uh, not completely. I've been just getting used to the attention" Sean laughed "Jay's put in a good word for you though" he then added

"I handle everything. All you have to worry about is playing basketball while I handle everything else" Jason's publicist told him

"I like the idea of that but I'm a practical type of person" Sean told him

"Practical can be handled. You should worry about putting a ball through a hoop and not what people want from you. I handle media, I handle appearances, I handle what is printed about you…everything" Jason's publicist told him "Okay, Jay and you are close, right?" he asked

"Yes, we're pretty close" Sean replied as he adjusted his gym strap

"Well to show you how good I am, I took care of a little matter he had with a mother" Jason's publicist said in a whisper as he walked close

"A mother?" Sean laughed as he wasn't sure if he was supposed to be impressed by this "I don't think I want you handling my mother" he joked

"No, hear me out. Hear me out" Jason's publicist said "You know his girl, Serena, right?" he asked as Sean looked a bit intrigued to hear her name come up in the conversation

"No, I don't really talk to her as much" Sean lied as he was eager to hear what he had to say without being associated to Serena, how eager would he be to get Sean for his client

"He was a bit tired of the mother always interfering in the relationship, so I help him with getting breathing room from her" Jason's publicist told him as it all began to register for Sean "So he sends me a clip of Serena just bashing her mother and I…" he began to say with a bit of laughter before Sean quickly took off. Walking with a full head of steam, Sean nearly felt as if he was running towards the locker room. Before Sean could even turn the corner to get into the locker room, Sean found that he was bombarded with camera's coming his direction, which put a halt to his destination point.

* * *

Making her way out, Blair pouted as her perfect opportunity had been squandered away all around. Once realizing that The Madame wasn't there, Blair looked on at the panel that was assigned to the woman to see that she wasn't The Madame, which she was identified as by the staff that Dan had spoke to. Sulking in her defeat, Blair leaned up against the rail as she looked on at the night sky begin to set in. Sighing in frustration, Blair began to wrack her brain with a back up plan that would make up for the time wasted today. Left and right, Blair tried to put two and two together so that she could get another shot to meet The Madame so that she could show how valuable she was to the company because Blair knew it would only be a matter of time before Louis would fire her from her position. Walking up towards Blair with his hands in his pocket, Dan shook his head as he joined her. Knowing that Dan wanted to scold her for her behavior, Blair just prepared herself for the scolding as she didn't have the energy to fight him.

"I've been trying to think of a way to ask you this, but there's only one way to ask this…what the hell is wrong with you?" Dan asked her

"What's wrong with me?! What's wrong with you? I didn't bring you hear to meet your booty call for the night. We're on a mission, we were supposed to be focused, locked in" Blair told him

"I was locked in and I wasn't trying to get a booty call. I was minding my own business letting you do your thing…" Dan began to say

"Well you sure mixed in your thing to the whole plan" Blair stated

"Wait a minute, this isn't you being upset because I'm upset. I'm upset with you" Dan told her

"For what?!" Blair asked "I clearly saved you. I mean seriously Humphrey, the girls that you were entertaining were walking hazards" she said

"Walking hazards to whom? Me….or you?" Dan asked as he was eager to hear her answer

"Oh, don't you dare put this on me being jealous. I could care less that you were talking to a bunch of floozies" Blair replied

"Really?" Dan asked

"Yes, really" Blair stated "I'm not one of those girls that keeps claim on an ex" she said before Dan quickly pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket

"So you won't mind if I call….Michelle" Dan said as he looked on at the paper to read the name

"Have no problems. I happen to like the name Michelle, always loved it because of Michelle Williams…" Blair began to reason

"Really? Never took you as a Dawson's Creek type of girl" Dan quickly replied as he wasn't buying her reasoning so Dan began to pull his cell phone out to dial.

"I mean I can't equate said Michelle to Michelle Williams but it's a positive for your future…what are you doing?" Blair tried to ride the lie before she realized that he was dialing

"Oh, I'm just calling my Michelle. I want to lock in this date since you clearly are okay with it" Dan said

"Perfect with it" Blair quickly replied as she folded her arms

"Great" Dan replied

"Wonderful" Blair quickly added as Dan brought the phone up to his ear

"Do you mind stepping away? I want a little privacy" Dan told her as Blair just glared at him before a silence came between them "It's ringing, she must lead a busy life but I like a woman that's not clingy" he said

"You just like female" Blair stated in retaliation

"I sure do" Dan smiled before he turned his attention back to his phone call "Michelle, hi. It's me, Daniel Humphrey. We met at the Old Field auction…yes, I had a great…." he began to say before Blair ripped the phone away to end the call only to realize that he never called anyone but was using a checkers app

"You asshole!" Blair said as she hit him on the arm

"Just admit it, you were jealous" Dan replied

"Yes, I was jealous!" Blair replied "I'm crazy, I'm manipulative, and I was jealous" she exclaimed as silence came between them as they both just looked at each other "I can say until I'm blue in the face that I'm trying to get over you and I'm honestly trying to but it's not working. I don't want to see you with anyone else because I still see you with me. I see you in every bit of my day. You're in every aspect of my life that I just can't shake you. So yes, I was jealous because maybe I'm starting to see that through all of this…you're my destination too" she said

"Why couldn't you just tell me that?" Dan asked

"Because I just couldn't. I've made up this logic in my head that us being together will only stop you from growing because once upon a time I did stop you from growing. I've read the manuscript you wrote over and over, to where I realized that I wasn't stopping you. You took away my reason for us not being together. So I thought that if we worked together than we could coexist as a team without the complications of romance, but then that got burned to hell because your only more appealing to everyone else now that your this brand new you" Blair told him as Dan stood in confusion "I know that it sounds crazy with a mix of shallow, but I started to feel like that while you went and grew up…I just stayed idle thinking I was something that I clearly wasn't" she told him

"Well you're right, your logic is very much crazy" Dan laughed to himself as he couldn't believe that he actually understood what she was saying to him in only a way that he could "I haven't changed on what I'm about. Blair, nothing was wrong with either one of us or is wrong with us. We just didn't appreciate each other. I took you for granted and I realize that now, but that doesn't mean my whole purpose of growing up was to grow out of you…I'm trying to be that guy that can make the girl happy and secure. I love all shades of who you are, so much so that I'm not looking at anyone else because my view has still been on us. I want us above everything else because I think this next time around, I think we could be greater than we ever imagined" he told her

"So you don't see us as tainted in anyway?" Blair asked

"Nothing about you has been tainted for me because at the end of the day, I'm the one standing here with you" Dan said as he moved in closer towards Blair "Waldorf, you've gotta stop over thinking things. You just have to trust me when I say that you're the one I want" he said as he tucked a strand of hair away from her face. With one single touch, Blair felt his strength empower her to be the strong and confident woman that he had come to know her as.

* * *

Running around trying to take care of things with Victrola, Chuck barely had enough time to breath as he was being pulled every which way. Thankfully, Carter was around to help Chuck with the workers as they were setting up for their big Cabaret set that they were going to feature for the Weekend Special they were now running. Heading into the office, Chuck began to sift through papers that were sitting on the desk in search of the contracts to pay the workers with. Just as he was beginning to curse himself for keeping the office so messy, Chuck felt the vibrations going off from his cell phone. Grabbing his phone, Chuck answered the phone without really paying attention to who was on the line.

"Hello" Chuck answered

"There's the sound of my lovely nephew" Jack said as Chuck groaned in frustration as this was the one phone call that he didn't want to answer for the day "I feel like you're ignoring me" he said

"I'm not ignoring you. I'm just busy running a business" Chuck replied

"The strip club?" Jack asked "That actually requires you to work?" he asked

"It's not a strip club" Chuck replied "And yes, I do run it efficiently unlike some under the table deals you do" he said

"Ouch, I feel offended…but you're right" Jack replied "Look, I'm calling because your dad could potentially be fucking up my stocks. I kind of need my stocks because I kind of like having money. So do you understand the dilemma?" he asked

"What are you talking about?" Chuck asked

"I'm referring to the orphan Annie's he's not paying in Bahatma" Jack replied "Yes, the word gets around and if it's leaked to me then you can imagine that within days the public will know" he said as Chuck froze

"So there's a leak in the office" Chuck concluded

"I can neither confirm or deny that, but I need you to talk to dear old Bart and get him to do lose the kids" Jack said

"Don't you think I understand the ramifications" Chuck said "I've talked to him and he understands so you can save the lack of concern" he told him

"I care. I care if he fucks with my money" Jack told him

"Which you made clear" Chuck replied

"And you should care because there's a board meeting in about an hour that could be very important…" Jack began to say before Chuck ended the call. Quickly ending the call, Chuck went back and forth with what he should do because he knew that he had to be at this meeting to be in the loop of what was going on with the company. Knowing that it might be a late night of dealing with what the board recommended then implementing plans, Chuck knew that his work would be cut out for him. Quickly dialing a familiar number, Chuck quickly began to text Jenny with the news that he wouldn't be able to make it to the dance. Sighing in frustration, Chuck quickly began to gather his things as he wanted to make it over to Bass Industries in time.

* * *

**All the right friends in all the right places**

**So yeah, we're going down**

**They've got**

**All the right moves in all the right faces**

**So yeah, we're going down**

Feeling a wave of butterflies come over her, Blair couldn't help but feel like Dan and her were in a new place. Though it was unsure of the state of where they stood in relationship terms, Blair could feel every irrational thought she had on what she had to do in order to help Dan go to the wayside as it wasn't something she had to shoulder on her own. It was dumb to think that this break from each other had taught them to be partners again, but Blair was seeing the potential of how great they could be the next time around like Dan had predicted. Grabbing her stuff from where she sat, Blair stopped one of the staff members as her curiosity had gotten the best of her.

"Excuse me, by any chance do you happen to know where exactly The Madame was sitting during the auction?" Blair asked as Dan began to walk over towards them

"The Madame?" The girl asked

"She was on the guest list…it's a name she goes by for publicity reasons, you know Lady Gaga deal" Blair said finding it strange that she had to explain the fashion icon

"No, I know who you're talking about, it's just that she wasn't here" The girl said

"What do you mean? I was told that she was on the guest list along with an unseen Oprah, but we won't get into that" Blair replied

"She was here in other ways but not physically" The girl replied

"But I was told this morning that she would be here. This auction was exclusive" Dan stepped in to say "What other way could she be here?" he asked

"Her painting. It's a rare collection that came in from an artist in Monaco. Most people had been vying for this painting and The Madame was the only known person that possessed this painting" The girl said as Dan grabbed the sheet on the chair next to him to look on at the lists of paintings featured. Noticing the painting with an asterisk beside it

"Belle fille" Dan read the name of the painting

"Beautiful girl in French" Blair stated

"Yeah, it was sold for the highest auction price this event has ever had. One point five billion" The girl said as Dan and Blair looked on at each other in confusion. Noticing that the rest of the staff was beginning clean up prep, the girl signaled that she would be over "If you'll excuse me" she said before she walked away

"Now my question is, who the hell is The Madame and why is she sight unseen?" Dan asked as he walked towards Blair

"That's a question that I'll leave for tomorrow to answer but now….I just want to go home and get some rest" Blair sighed "Preferably at your place…you know since it's closer" she told him as a smile quickly came to his face as he knew what she was implying

"Yeah, I think my place is closer" Dan smiled as they smiled on at each other before they made their way out

**Let's paint the picture**

**Of the perfect place**

**They've got it better then when anyone's told ya**

**They'll be the King of Hearts, and you're the Queen of Spades**

**Then we'll fight for you like we were your soldiers**

Making his way off the elevator, Chuck could hear the arguing from the boardroom before he could manage to even take one step. Quietly making his way into the boardroom, Chuck made sure to stand off in the back so that his father wouldn't see him. Leaning up against the wall, Chuck folded his arms as he just listened in on the talks of the topic at hand.

"If you go ahead with keeping the factory, this board will have no choice but to take action against you" One of the board members said

"You all are blowing the situation out of proportion. We are panicking for nothing…." Bart began to say

"There's political upheaval in the country. We could lose money rather than gain to get security for the products and services we provide" One of the board members said

"And we could also gain by not making knee jerk reactions. Our quarter numbers are coming in and I guarantee the substantial increase in profit will be more than satisfactory to all in this room…" Bart began to say

"The risk is becoming too high Bart" One board member said

"So what? Are you questioning my judgment now?" Bart asked

"We question the direction this company is going in" One board member added "We all have too much to lose with this scandal that is bound to get out…and we feel this is not the only slip up that you've allowed to happen in your pursuit to greatness" he added

"A pursuit that was this companies goal" Bart stated

"Well it's a pursuit that would be best served under new leadership" One board member stated

"Meaning what?" Bart asked

"We've elected a special board meeting to elect a new CEO" One board member revealed as Chuck straightened up in his stance to listen closely

"You need a majority of the stockholders for that to take place" Bart replied

"We have a majority of the stockholders to agree to this…even the highest stockholder and a suggestion of your replacement has been placed on the ballot" One board member said

"Who?" Bart asked knowing that this meant one thing

"Our son" The woman said as she emerged from the crowd. Quickly pushing to the front of the crowd, Chuck looked on at the woman before he looked over towards his father "I, Elizabeth Dennison, also known as, Elizabeth Dennison Bass, elect that Charles Bartholomew Bass be next in line for CEO of Bass Industries" she stated as Bart looked shocked to see his ex-wife while Chuck stood stunned.

"Mom" Chuck said to himself as he looked on at the woman that he had been searching for be in eye sight for him to see.

**I know we got it good, but they got it made,**

**And their grass is getting greener each day,**

**I know things are looking up, but soon they'll take us down,**

**Before anybody's knowing our name**

**They've got...**

Hearing the coach scream as they ran up the court, Sean did all he could to keep his head in the game but he found that every bit of distractions was getting to him. Jason was playing his worst game of series, which only fueled the aggression amongst the team as everyone seemed to be griping at each other. Sean tried to put the personal feelings to the side for the sake of the game, but he found that trusting Jason on the court was something he couldn't do. All he could focus on was to try to get through the game as it was a tight one. A layup here, a shot there, another layup there, Sean was doing all that he could to keep his mind into the game without letting the outside forces get in.

**All the right friends in all the right places**

**So yeah, we're going down**

**T****hey've got**

**All the right moves in all the right faces**

**So yeah, we're going down**

Signing on the dotted line, Nate looked up to see the eager faces of the committee of the Gay Rights Committee smile eagerly. It was no surprise that once Nate had agreed to be a spokesperson for the committee, every possible news source would come out to witness the signing. Shaking the hands of the people he'd work with on the committee as he headed back towards his seat and smiled for the photographers. Nate looked out into the crowd to see The Captain standing in the back round. Pausing for a moment, The Captain and Nate shared a stare before The Captain eventually turned to leave. Quickly running off the stage, Nate ran out into the hallway to try to catch his father. Seeing the door the stairwell close, Nate quickly ran towards the stairwell to go inside to see The Captain try to flee the scene.

"Dad, will you just wait?" Nate asked as The Captain came to a stop "Will you please just talk to me, look at me at least?" he asked

"I don't think you want me to do that" The Captain replied as he clenched his fists trying to control his emotions

"I do. I want you to look at me" Nate told him as a silence came between them. Thinking that this was a moment that the two could actually talk, Nate began to walk towards his father before The Captain quickly turned around to spit directly into Nate's face. Standing in horror of what his father had just down.

"You disgust me. You're not the son I raised…you're everything I hate in this world!" The Captain yelled as tears welled up in his eyes as he couldn't keep his emotions in check "Never in my life did I think I would have a faggot as my own….I hate you and your kind" he said as the shock of his father words paralyzed Nate to his core. Without another word, The Captain felt his point get across before he turned to leave.

**They say**

**Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going**

**Yeah, we're going down**

**They sayEverybody knows, everybody knows where we're going**

**Yeah, we're going down**

Looking on at his watch, Carter could tell by how late that it was getting that Chuck wouldn't be coming back. Deciding to close down early for the night, Carter made sure to send Vanessa a text to see if he could see her before the night was over. Just as he began to put the chairs up on the table, Carter looked up to see Nikki coming into the club. Not paying much attention, Carter continued to clean up before he noticed that two cops were with Nikki.

"These are the cops I was telling you about" Nikki told "Officers, Carter Baizen" he introduced

"What can I do for you guys?" Carter asked nervously

"We're hear to get you briefed for the warehouse raid, the one in which will tie Dominic Nicks to the organized crimes in the neighborhood" The cop said

"This is what you wanted, this is your freedom" Nikki told him as Carter stood in silence feeling like he was coming upon the crossroads in his life.

**Do you think I'm special?**

**Do you think I'm nice?**

**Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?**

**Between the noise you hear, and the sounds you like**

**Are we just sinking the ocean of faces?**

**It can't be possible... the rain can fall**

**Only when it's over our sun is shining everyday, but it's far the world that's 've got, they've got...**

Opening the door to the townhouse, Dan turned to grab Blair's hand as he lead her inside while she closed the door behind her after she made it inside. Quickly tossing his keys to the side, Dan wasted no time in capturing her lips in his. Collapsing against the door, Dan's hand slid down her side to where he picked up her leg as he pressed against her. Deepening the kiss, their hands fumbled with buttons on clothing as it took them longer than usual to remove the very items they wanted gone. Ripping away from her lips, Dan removed his shirt before his hands hiked her dress up. Hearing the sounds of the phone ring in the back round, neither Dan nor Blair bothered to stop what they were doing to answer the phone.

"Hey Dan, it's me Alessandra. I'm calling with good news, you got approved for your summer writing workshop in Paris!….you leave next week so I suggest you start brushing up on all things Paris" Alessandra voicemail said as she sounded ecstatic on the answering machine. Breaking the kiss, Blair looked over at the answering machine as if listening would help her hear better in some case.

"Paris?" Blair asked in a bit of confusion with tears welling up in her eyes

"Paris" Dan sighed as he knew that this moment was too good to be true between them.

**All the right friends in all the right places**

**So yeah, we're going down**

**They've got**

**All the right moves in all the right faces**

**So yeah, we're going down**

Hearing the yells from the crowd for their play, Sean threw the towel over his head while hanging his head in defeat. It was no surprise seemed to be unforgiving for the lackluster effort, but Sean just zoned out of the moment as nothing seemed to matter to him anymore. Ahead of him, Sean could see woman hounding each of the guys as they walked into the tunnel, she yelled out profanity left and right that each guy hated to even have to pass the woman. Not paying attention to what wrath he may endure, Sean's only focus was to just get out of the arena and get somewhere other than here. Walking towards the locker room, Sean threw his towel over into the laundry cart before he entered the locker room. Trying to avoid Jason at any cost, Sean just headed towards the training room to get the tape removed from around his ankle.

"Stupid bitch" Jason griped as a few of the teammates laughed at the remark while it seemed to be the trigger for Sean

"What'd you say?" Sean asked holding up the line towards the training room

"What?" Jason asked

"What'd you just say?" Sean asked as he continued to walk towards Jason and in that moment Sean felt as if he was blacking out. Noticing that Sean seemed unlike himself in the moment and felt bold enough to approach him, Jason just laughed him off. "Is that the same crap you say to Serena?" he asked as Jason looked at him in disbelief. Feeling every bit of the attention shift to them, Jason felt as if he was being called out.

"And if I do?" Jason asked not backing down from Sean

"Do you hit her?" Sean asked as he continued to walk towards Jason, pushing off anyone that tried to get in his way

"You're fucking crazy" Jason laughed before Sean grew even more agitated at the sound of his laughter that in one quick motion Sean bum rushed Jason, slamming him into the locker. Swinging left and right, Sean found himself pummeling Jason as his face became a punching bag to him with every punch that he was landing. The rest of the team tried to separate the two but Sean managed escape the hold his teammates had on him to attack Jason once more as he tackled him to the floor. Blacking out, Sean kept punching to the point where he couldn't even recognize who or what he was punching at. His anger of the past and present fueled this attack to where there was no telling how far he would take this.

**They sayEverybody knows, everybody knows where we're going**

**Yeah, we're going down**

**They say**

**Everybody knows, everybody knows where we're going**

**Yeah, we're going down**

* * *

**Music/Lyrics Used In Chapter:**

**Kanye West- Runaway**

**Neon Trees- Everybody's Talking**

**Cher Lloyd- Want U Back**

**OneRepublic- All the Right Moves**

**Thank you for reading :)**


	22. The Last Tango, Then Paris

**Author's Note: I want to thank you all for your reviews/feedback. I greatly appreciate them as I always have and will continue. It took a bit longer because it was longer than usual and because I'm a huge LSU Football fan so writing on Saturday pretty much won't happen. I hope you all enjoy my Finale. It's been an honor and pleasure to write this story and for all of my loyal readers.**

* * *

**Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal**

**Chapter Twenty One- Last Tango, Then Paris**

* * *

It was hard for her to sleep. It was like the harder that she tried to sleep, the less she could get because something so heavy was on her mind. They had agreed to save the talks of Paris for another time as they just enjoyed the little time they had together. Dan never confirmed or denied where his whereabouts would be this summer, but Blair figured that with the words left unsaid, it was a possibility that anything could happen. Blair felt torn inside because a part her loved having him back in the way that she knew him as, hers. Then there was another side that knew she had chose this path for him, Blair wanted Dan to feel proud about himself in the ways that she couldn't, she wanted him to be passionate about something and confident in himself the way he had instilled in her that fateful Christmas Eve that had changed the course of her world. Laying still with him, with his arm resting on her waist, Blair had never felt so safe than she did in this moment with him. Thinking that she was asleep, Dan quietly got out of the bed to grab his phone as he made his way out of the bed. Once the door was closed, Blair rolled over on to her back to look on at the door. As quiet as she possibly could, Blair tip toed over towards the door to see Dan standing off in the living room with the phone pressed against his ear as he had no clue that Blair was listening.

"Hey Alessandra" Dan said

"Hey Dan. I was just about to e-mail you the itinerary for your trip" Alessandra said excitedly "You are going to have such an amazing time in Paris with some of the most influential writers in the business and the greats that will help you hone your craft. Arthur Vaughn has even taken an interest in getting to meet you" she spoke excitedly

"Wait, the Arthur Vaughn, as in the legend?" Dan questioned "The Discourse of a Life Unfulfilled is my favorite book" he stated

"I know, so you said on your profile" Alessandra laughed "You gaining Arthur Vaughn as a mentor will help you tremendously with your career, albeit; I would like him to know your literary pieces that didn't consist of Insider" she said

"Which makes what I'm about to do even worse" Dan sighed as he was preparing to break the news. Closing her eyes, Blair just sighed in sadness as she knew she'd be the reason why. "As great as this opportunity is, I can't….this point in my life, I'm not able to go" he told her

"What do you mean? the company is paying all of your expenses" Alessandra replied "All you have to do is show up and learn" she told him

"I know and I greatly appreciate it, but I can't" Dan said "I've pretty much messed up this whole year. Making decisions that I wish I could take back, and I'm finally starting to get back the one thing I need in my life….and I have to stay to work on it or else Paris will only cause more strain to it" he said as Blair did everything she could to control her emotions because while she was happy that he loved her that much to risk his career, she thought he had to be the dumbest person in the world to sacrifice his dream to be mentored by one of his favorite authors.

"Dan, I know that you've had your struggles but this isn't a struggle anymore. This is a reward that most writers would kill for" Alessandra told him "I strongly believe this will be good for you….what could possibly be holding you back from seeing this?" she asked

"Love" Dan laughed as there was no other way to explain it but to say what it was "Love is what's making me risk my career because…that's what life is about, we're supposed to be finding the people that fit us, the people that make each day a good one" he said

"And that is why you're a writer" Alessandra sighed as a silence came between them

"I can write from anywhere but I can't expect my relationship to her to if I don't put in the work, and part of that means me being here" Dan told her "She…she means more to me" he sighed as he knew he was making a big decision. Struggling to bite her tongue, Blair wanted so badly to just open the door and blame every word he said as a case of insanity but she knew that if he was bold enough to say this now, he'd do it again in a heartbeat behind her back.

"I know your making a decision with your heart Dan. I respect that, but this is a great opportunity….please reconsider your offer. I'm not even going to call to say that you won't come because I want you to seriously think about this" Alessandra said "I won't do much to dispute your decision but I want to leave the option open for me until you give me the final call" she said as a silence came between them to where Blair felt like a pen dropping on the floor would ring loudly in the room.

"I'm sure" Dan replied with a weak smile as he hated the opportunity he was letting go but felt secure with the future he was walking towards. Ending the call, Dan looked on at the phone for a moment before he just took a sigh of relief as he was faced with one less decision. Realizing that he was on his way back to the bedroom, Blair quickly wiped her tear filled eyes. Rushing back towards the bed, Blair got underneath the covers to pretend like she was asleep like he had left her. In a few moments, Dan made his way into the room making sure not to wake her as he put his phone down on the dresser. Getting into the bed, Dan leaned over to give Blair a quick kiss on the cheek as he rested his hand on her waste as her back rested perfectly against his chest. "I love you" he whispered as his hand draped above her head. Tears filling her eyes once more because if there's anything she knew, she knew that his words were true, he did love her, he loved her so much that he believed in their future when she herself questioned it time. Now, now that she saw their future and tasted what a forever could be like with him, Blair could only feel plagued with guilt because she could single handedly be the reason he could fail. Resting her hand on top of his, Blair squeezed his hand as she knew in that moment what she had to do for his sake.

"I love you too" Blair told him as she held on tight to his hand because it was her love for him that made her pressed to do the only thing that would ensure his own future success. Smiling as he leaned in to kiss the back of her neck, Dan took her in as he planned to do from every day out while she did all she could to breath him out so she wouldn't drown in the sorrow that she sure to feel down the road.

* * *

Leaning up against the cold brick wall, Sean looked around to see the other mischief's that joined him in the jail cell. It was for the first time that Sean was happy that his celebrity status still stayed at minimal but slightly increased because he was sure that if anyone knew him then he'd be in trouble. Bringing his knees up to his chest, Sean got a good look at his bloodied hands and bruised knuckles as it would've seemed that he had killed Jason but in actuality he had merely beaten him up. Jason got in a few good stingers that still bothered Sean in the very moment, but it was nothing that he couldn't shake off. Walking towards the jail cell with keys in hand, the guard opened it up as Sean had no bit of hope that Tyler would get there in time to bail him out this late in the night since he was halfway across town. Shifting his position so that he could rest his head, Sean prepared for a longer wait.

"Sean Anderson, your bail has been posted" The guard said as Sean looked over in surprise "Let's go!" the guard groaned as the night shift only showed how cranky he was as Sean got up from his seat

"Wait a minute, you're that point guard…" One guy began to say before Sean quickly rushed out of the jail cell to avoid being completely called out. After a few minutes of paperwork, Sean made his way out into the hallway where he was surprised to see Serena leaning up against the wall as if she had been waiting for him. Seeing him walk towards her, Serena immediately began to straighten up her stance as she turned to look at him.

"Was it worth it?!" Serena asked as he walked up towards her

"Yep. Every bit of it" Sean replied as he just laughed to himself in disbelief as he just kept walking past her

"Don't walk away from me! I think I deserve some bit of an explanation as to why you decide to pummel Jay's face in?" Serena asked as she trailed behind while he continued to walk outside the police station with her following close behind

"You're mad, maybe you should go console your boyfriend" Sean replied before Serena quickly grabbed on to his arm to turn him around

"Tell me why?!" Serena asked "Why would you do this?" she asked

"If you have to ask me why, then maybe you're more brainwashed than I was led on to believe" Sean replied

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Serena asked

"It means what I said. You are brainwashed, you buy into his crap and think that everything he says is just law and factual" Sean replied

"Okay, clearly I got an asshole released from jail because how you can think that…." Serena began to say

"I know the truth!" Sean yelled "I know what he has done to you, I know….and this time you won't convince me otherwise because every bit of my gut believes it" he told her with much conviction in his voice to where Serena knew that she couldn't lie to him. Becoming nervous under his stare, Serena began to jitter a bit as she was unsure of how to even talk about her dark secret because in the back of her mind she liked to believe it didn't exist as much as it did. "Your silence says everything I need to know" he told her as tears welled up in her eyes

"It's not that bad…" Serena began to reason as Sean looked at her in utter disbelief that she would even say something like that to him. Knowing that if he would say anything in this moment it would be the wrong thing, Sean just turned to walk away "Sean!?" she cried out

"Just go Serena. Go to your mother's or Blair's, but just go!" Sean said as he continued to walk away just as Tyler pulled up in the taxi in the front of the station to see the intense moment between the two. Getting out of the car slowly, Serena began to wipe away the tears so that Tyler wouldn't see while Sean just walked up to Tyler. "Take her to Blair's" he told his friend

"I'm not going to Blair's…." Serena began to say as she walked up towards him

"So what? You just go back to the house?" Sean questioned as he turned to look at her "Is it nice and cozy there now? You got used to the living conditions?…explain to my why it's so natural for you to just to go back?!" he asked

"One, because Jason is traveling on an away game. Two, it's none of your business what I do with my life" Serena told him

"You make that abundantly clear every time we speak" Sean laughed to where that was all he could do

"I don't need the taxi….and I don't need you" Serena replied angrily before she began to walk off down the street. Through gritted teeth, Sean just clenched his fist together as all he could do was watch on with much frustration.

"What the hell happened tonight? I get e-mails left and right saying you got into an altercation with Jason Peters. Then I get word that you're sent to jail because he's pressing charges. I mean have you completely lost your damn mind?" Tyler asked as he turned his focus on to his friend while Sean tried to find a sane answer, but before he could even manage to answer his cell phone began to ring. "What is it now?" he asked

"The commissioner, he wants to see me" Sean told him as he looked up at his friend with much shock in his eyes.

* * *

Sitting on the sofa beside him, Jenny did little talking as she watched Chuck and his mother interact. For the most part, Jenny could tell that Chuck was beyond eager to finally talk with the woman he had searched for but was in total disbelief that this was actually happening. Not wanting to ruin the moment, Jenny just sat back and watched Elizabeth's mannerisms as she could see the little ways that Chuck emulated his mother. So much of Chuck had believed that he was like his father, but sitting up close to now the other half of his parental beginnings, Jenny could see that Chuck's complete personality was based off of Elizabeth. She was calm, she was cool, she had a sound mind, and she was not phased with the tale of repercussions. Elizabeth didn't look like the typical Upper Eastside woman as she was born into, but she carried herself with such grace that you'd believe it was true that she was amongst the elite.

"So how long are you in town for?" Chuck asked as he leaned forward in his seat

"I'll be in town for some time. I have some things to tend to" Elizabeth told him

"Does that mean you need your place back?" Chuck asked immediately

"No, no. This is all yours" Elizabeth smiled as she looked around to see what had been done to the place "I see a woman's touch has been present, more than I was capable of doing" she smiled at Jenny

"I'm not one for the interior" Chuck said as he rested his hand on top of Jenny's so proudly "All the credit has to be given towards my wife" he said

"So it's true, you have taken up marriage" Elizabeth laughed to herself as she looked at the two "I was sure that Jack was full of it when I heard, but then Darren is a much better confidant" she said

"It's true. Before you start to suggest that marriage is…" Chuck began to say

"No, no. I'm not in any position to judge or put my own beliefs on you two. I'm happy that you're happy Charles" Elizabeth told him as he smiled

"So you've been in contact with Darren?" Chuck asked

"Yes, he's my….conscience if we have to call it something. Very much protective of my businesses and my own choices as you may call it" Elizabeth said "He's taken care of you? Has he not?" she asked

"Yes, he helped me with my emancipation" Chuck replied "But things have been much better with dad since then, which is why I'm a bit shocked such drastic measures have been taken to remove him. I mean why me?" he asked

"Why you what?" Jenny asked as Chuck and Elizabeth turned to look at her

"Maybe business is best saved for another day" Elizabeth told him

"But don't you think it's something that we should discuss with time being of the essence?" Chuck asked as Elizabeth rose from her seat

"It will, in due time but tonight is overwhelming enough as in" Elizabeth replied "We'll have time to discuss all that needs to be said" she told him as he rose to his feet

"Where will you go?" Chuck asked

"I've gotten a room for the night until I get something suitable. Darren I'm sure is slaving away trying to allocate funds" Elizabeth smiled at her son like the free spirit she was "It was nice to meet you Jennifer" she then said turning her attention towards Jenny

"Same here" Jenny replied as she wasn't quite sure if she should correct Chuck's mother on her name as Chuck walked her to the door

"I'll see you soon Charles" Elizabeth told him before she leaned in to kiss his cheek. Turning to leave, Chuck stood in the doorway just watching his mother leave while Jenny sat on the sofa waiting. Closing the door, Chuck let out a sigh as the events of the night were only beginning to take a toll on him.

"What happened tonight?" Jenny asked

"Besides the fact that mother is back, not much comes into mind" Chuck replied as a smile came to his face "My mother. Jen, my mother is back" he smiled

"And you saw her where? At the meeting?" Jenny asked

"Yes" Chuck replied

"Chuck, what happened at this meeting? I'm having trouble understanding why you're being brought into Bass Industries work when you run Victrola?" Jenny asked

"The board is planning to remove my father from CEO" Chuck told her

"Because of the Bahatma factory?" Jenny asked

"Yes. They feel the company is going in a bad direction so they want to elect someone new" Chuck told her

"Who?" Jenny asked in confusion

"Me" Chuck replied as Jenny sat stunned.

* * *

Over the course of treatment, Eleanor had succumbed to the toll of what it was like to go through chemotherapy to where she felt like her body was working against her. There were good days and there were bad, but mostly they were days filled with the ones that she loved using her door as a revolving one to keep her company in the face of it all, which she had come to love. Determined to not seclude herself to the confines of her room, Eleanor forced herself to be another personification other than what she had become to her family lately. During the day, Eleanor had planned and struggled with computers as she focused on the only thing that gave her hope, the future. Smiling to herself as she completed her notebook of plans, Eleanor looked over at her blackberry that Cyrus had managed to lose track of to see that Alice, her business advisor, was calling. Eleanor felt the temptation to answer but again she wanted to keep her focus. Coming off the elevator, Tyler looked on at his usual New York Times paper that he'd carry around for the day, only to be surprised to see that Eleanor was sitting up in the living room.

"Uh, what is happening?" Tyler asked as he stopped dead in his tracks to take in his mother's actions

"I'm planning" Eleanor smiled happily as she took her glasses off

"Because you're wedding planning went so well" Tyler concluded as he took the strap off of his shoulder while walking over to take a seat on the sofa.

"Yes, I happen to think that was a fabulous wedding" Eleanor smiled as she turned her attention towards Tyler

"That it was but shouldn't you be resting? I thought you had your round of chemo today?" Tyler asked as he took a seat on the sofa across from her

"No, I didn't have chemo today but I did get inspired to plan" Eleanor told him "I planned summer vacations. I mean I'm talking trips to The Kaman Islands, sailing. Maybe even going to Nantucket for a bit, then France…we could go to France and then you could spend some more time with Harold" she said excitedly as Tyler couldn't help but feel guilt as she planned for their summer, his plans may have included leaving

"France for the summer. I don't think that has ever been an option for me" Tyler laughed nervously

"What did you use to do for the summer with your family?" Eleanor asked finding it quite weird to call someone else his family when she felt she was

"Uh…we did camping. Lots of it. My dad was a nature buff and my mom…she just loved being together as a family" Tyler told her

"I don't think I've gone camping a day in my life. Camping to me is staying in New York traffic longer than I should" Eleanor laughed as Tyler joined in with her "Maybe we could, do the whole camping thing" she suggested

"I really don't think any of you can handle the camping thing" Tyler laughed

"Why not?" Eleanor asked

"Because you're…you're Upper Eastside. I'm just a kid that lived in a blue collar lifestyle" Tyler said

"You forget that it takes a blue collar mentality to run a company from the ground up" Eleanor said

"You mean making tough decision when you're young, some of which included sacrifice" Tyler said as he poked at the obvious in her statement while Eleanor cursed herself for bringing up that memory "I don't say that to make you feel guilty, I just say that to understand" he said as he looked up at her "I'm grateful for your decision, I may not have always loved in growing up but I realize that you gave me the greatest gift I could ever have…you gave me parents that raised me in a way that I value. I was happy. I played sports, got good grades in school, had a best friend since I was three years old that happens to still be my best friend. None of that would've happened to me without your decision….so I thank you for that" he told her

"Looking back now, I guess a selfish part of me wishes that I could've been mature enough to raise my own child. I wish that I could know you better than I do…but I'm happy that you got the life you wanted because I can assure you that I didn't truly come into my own as a parent until Blair was in high school. I'm not great as a parent or will I ever light a candle to your mother, but I just want to be a part of your life" Eleanor told him just as the elevator doors opened up with Blair walking through more depressed than ever.

"Mother, why are you out of your bed? What is Tyler forcing you to do?" Blair sighed as she asked

"Look, Ms. Sunshine is here" Tyler teased "I came and found her planning trips to Nantucket, The Hamptons, and France" he said

"The Hamptons is a given, everything else is a surprise" Blair said as she walked over to join the two in the living room area "Less in case you're trying to take Little Orphan Tyler around the globe to show him a world beyond his Mac laptop" she said

"Your words are biting now, I like that" Tyler laughed as Eleanor took in the sight of her two kids together as they all just sat like it was something they had done for years

"My vocab is spectacular" Blair sighed "It's what I do" she shrugged off her smarts "Has Dorota put up the breakfast spread? I'm starving" she then sighed

"I gave Dorota they day off to take her kids to the park" Eleanor replied

"And there goes my desire for a cup of tea and a yogurt" Blair said

"All of which you can get for yourself" Tyler replied "Dorota deserves to have days off, even sporadic ones" he stated

"I feel like I've heard that line somewhere" Blair said as he looked on at her brother "You spend far too much time with Dan as he even has you harping on the same campaign of free Dorota" she said

"We have our mutual bond over the facts that you teeter on the side of crazy from time to time" Tyler quickly replied

"Okay, since you're the champion of the people. Whip us up something to eat then" Blair said

"Why should I cook for you?" Tyler quickly asked

"Because like I told Dan then, if you want to champion the rights of those here then you need to step in and cover their shift" Blair said "I mean it's only fair, right?" she turned to ask her mother

"That's not a fair shot. You're going to take her side regardless in this" Tyler stated

"As she should" Blair laughed as Eleanor looked at her two kids

"I think Blair is right…." Eleanor began to say as Tyler shook his head with a bit of laughter "And I think Blair needs to chime in on the action, we all should" she said

"Clearly you've lost your mind" Blair added "I don't cook" she stated

"That's a trait you should probably pick up, you know for marriage purposes" Tyler told her

"And while I pick that up, I'll pick up the Bill of Rights that state why I won't batting anything or whipping anything else into a round thing" Blair quickly replied

"Oh how Dan loves you. The little domesticated things you bring to the table, and yet he still loves you. God bless his soul" Tyler teased before Blair reached over to hit Tyler with a pillow. Wanting more and more of this bickering and bantering, Eleanor quickly got up from her seat and began to make her way towards the kitchen which seemed to catch their attention

"You can't be serious?!" Blair questioned

"Tyler, how exactly do you open an egg?" Eleanor asked as she looked over at Tyler "Never mind, I will figure it out and I will whip a meal" she said as she sported a smile on her face as she entered the kitchen

"See what you've done" Blair said before she hit Tyler once more with the pillow "Now she's going to kill us with her cooking. Waldorf women don't cook, we're hire them" she said as Tyler just rolled her eyes at her before he got up from his seat

* * *

**Everything is wonderful**

**Everything is great**

**Free as a bird singing outside my window paneG**

**ot a fresh new startIt's a brand new day**

**And I got lots of love to give away**

Looking on at the mess that they were creating with little to no clue as to what they were doing, Blair looked over at her mother to see that her hands were messy beyond belief. Typically, Blair would see a mess as something to worry about but now, it was just something that had to be because it just showed an effort of trying. Looking over Tyler as he stood a good arms length away, Blair could see that he feared that the mess would end up on him. Grab an egg that was in the carton, Blair walked towards the fearful Tyler as he began to back up. Warning after warning, Tyler tried to give his sister before she finally smashed it against his shirt. Laughing at her gesture, Eleanor couldn't help but see it as a funny gesture with how skittish Tyler was getting. Not willing to go down so easily, Tyler grabbed a handful of flour to pour on top of Eleanor's head before it began a flour war that they wouldn't have believed. They weren't the typical family and probably never would be, but it's the trying that made it something she didn't want to clean up and get rid of right a way. For a few moments, a few good moments, Blair had forgot about her pending heartbreak to see the joy that could come from those that meant more to her, her family.

**It don't matter if it's raining**

**Nothing can phase meI make my own sunshine**

**And if you think you can break me**

**Baby you're crazy**

**I make my own sunshine**

Forks slicing into waffles while debate erupted as conversation, it was turning into a typical Humphrey breakfast that they once remembered it to be. Though breakfast time had gone and went, nothing would ever prevent the Humphrey's from a good Rufus cooked meal. Laughing and talking as they sat around the table, Dan couldn't help enjoy the time that was being spent with his sister and father. He was beginning to realize that though he had strayed once before, it felt good to come back home to the place where he knew he'd always belong. They each led their own lives but it was still refreshing to see that they were eager to work on the family life they had still.

**Hey, let's make a rainbow**

**Look for the pot o' goldI'll show you how to keep it nice and easy**

**Even if a cloud starts forming on my lovely day**

**There's nothing, no nothing, that could stand in my way**

Finishing up his breakfast, Nate looked on at his phone to confirm meeting up with Chuck. It was a late start to the day but Nate couldn't shake the cravings he had for some pancakes and a fresh glass of orange juice. Making his way through the lobby of the hotel, Nate busied himself with cancelling and confirming appointments that he had scheduled for the day. Glancing up at the television screens by hearing a mention of the Archibald name, Nate couldn't help but notice that his family was once again on the campaign trail. Though voting was some time off, Nate knew that it would be a year long worth of campaigning for the senate seat. Stopping where he stood, Nate looked on at how in that moment with his family all together on the stage, his family looked like the perfect family. The only problem that didn't sit right with him at this picture was that he was nowhere to be seen in this picture.

**It don't matter if it's raining**

**Nothing can phase me**

**I make my own sunshine**

**And if you think you can break me**

**Baby you're crazy**

**I make my own sunshine**

* * *

Making his way through the lobby of the building, Dan greeted the security guards as he always had before boarding the elevator. He wouldn't say it aloud but Dan couldn't help but feel happy and have an extra pep in his step as he was on his way up towards the Waldorf penthouse. The decision to not go through with Paris had relieved a stress on him that could possibly be more of a burden than an opportunity for what he was trying to build with Blair. Dan knew that he was crazy for turning the opportunity down but Dan knew that his real opportunity would come with being the girl that was his destination from the beginning. Stepping off the elevator, Dan could see that she was sitting in the living room in her robe as she flipped through the magazines. Looking up from her magazine, Blair gave him a weak smile before she sat the magazine to the side. Happily walking over to join her, Dan took a seat beside her as he got comfortable in his position on the sofa before he leaned over to give her a quick kiss.

"What was your morning looking like?" Dan asked as he sat back on his spot

"Good. I spent some good time with my mother and surprise, surprise Tyler" Blair told him as she laughed weakly

"You don't say" Dan laughed "How'd that come about?" he asked

"It came about with his constant hanging around" Blair sighed

"Starting to remind you of someone" Dan teased "So it just dawned on me that we haven't really nailed down our summer plans" he said

"You have summer plans. You have Paris remember" Blair stated

"I don't anymore. I have free summer plans" Dan told her "I don't think Paris would've been good for me. I would've had to pay for my own expenses and then I'd be away for three months…it wasn't completely ideal for me at this time" he lied as Blair couldn't help but look at him for a moment, knowing that he had lied

"I really can't make plans" Blair said shifting her attention back to what she had to do

"Why?" Dan asked "Work got you going long hours?" he asked

"It will. I have to prove I belong at Modern. Louis has done all he can to diminish my reputation, so now I have to put in overtime to build it up again" Blair said

"And you will, I strongly believe that Louis has no clue as to the hell he has unleashed on himself" Dan laughed "But the weekends could be spent with trips or exhibits" he said as he began to play with her hand

"Dan, I think we need to talk" Blair said as she looked on at his hand resting on top of hers

"We are talking" Dan replied

"I mean seriously talk" Blair said as she looked towards him "I think last night gave us both the wrong impression of what this is" she said

"What does that mean?" Dan asked in confusion

"It means that nothing has changed" Blair replied as she moved her hand out from under his "We…we still can't be together" she said as Dan looked at her strangely

"Why not?" Dan asked

"Do I really have to spell it out?" Blair asked in disbelief

"Yes because clearly I have no clue as to why we can't be together" Dan told her

"Last night was us being together as friends, not as boyfriend and girlfriend again. It was a storm of circumstances" Blair reasoned

"Storm of circumstances? Blair, what is this really about?" Dan asked as he straightened up in his seat

"This is about us not being ready to move in the coupledom state" Blair replied "I have to get my career in order and I have to evaluate my plan, then implement in a way that will cut back on the years added to the all ready plan in motion" she said

"So we can't be together because of your career?" Dan asked

"Not just my career but my life" Blair told him "You've had the time to figure yourself out, and I'm happy for you but now I need to go back to the drawing board on the same thing. It's not my career that needs to get in order, it's my life plan" she told him as he just looked at her for a moment

"Okay, so how long does this life plan tend to run for?" Dan asked

"Are you being serious or are you just mocking me?" Blair questioned as she found his sincerity to be lacking

"I'm being serious because this life plan evaluation is news to me and so left field…" Dan said

"Me struggling at work is news to you? Dan, I've told you what Louis has done and could do" Blair said

"Yes, yes, yes. I know what he could do. I just don't think it requires you devoting your whole world to your career" Dan sighed

"This isn't just a career to me Dan, this is my life" Blair replied "This is something I've worked hard for….and I just don't think having a relationship will do my focus any good. I don't think I have the time to give you like you would hope I would give" she said as a silence came between them as she knew she had finally struck a nerve with him

"I'd be a distraction? Is that what you're saying?" Dan asked

"….I just can't be in a relationship nor do I want one at this time. My focus has to be to get back on track career wise" Blair said as he just laughed to himself in disbelief. Getting up from his seat, Dan just continued to laugh to himself. "I'm sorry if you think I'm being harsh…" she began to say

"No, you've always been honest. Honesty is something I always get from you, so I'm giving your honesty it's due respect" Dan told her as Blair could tell that he wasn't liking what he was hearing

"I mean…I deserve that. We can't be together if we're both not where we want to be at in our own personal lives" Blair exclaimed

"And where exactly is your destination of where you want to be at in your personal life? Do you want to be a part of a company or do you just want to run it? Do you want minimal responsibility or all the responsibility? Do you want be in one spot or travel around the world at the drop of the dime? Will you be purchasing a jet anytime soon for this career you speak of?" Dan asked

"Okay now you're being mean. I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you" Blair replied

"No, we're not having a serious conversation. We're having a requirements conversation" Dan replied as he got up from his seat "You want to be here in order to get there" he illustrated with his hands

"And what's wrong with that?!" Blair asked "I have goals Dan, you've known that about me since you first met me" she told him

"Do you want to get back together?" Dan quickly asked "Do you want to be in a relationship with me, date me, progress in life with me? Do you want me like I want you?" he asked point blank as Blair just looked at him

"…I can't at this current…." Blair began to say before Dan put his hand up to stop her from talking any further

"Enough said" Dan told her "We're done. Plain and simple, yes or no. We're done" he said as Dan just looked at her for a lingering moment before he turned to leave. Watching him walk to get on the elevator, Blair felt her hand begin to tremble as every ounce of him walking away was becoming clearer by the minute. The elevator doors shut and the tears began to flow like raindrops. Quickly getting up from her seat, Blair ran up the stairs towards her room. Coming towards the bottom of the staircase, Eleanor looked up towards the top of the staircase wondering if she should run up behind her daughter as she had heard the whole conversation. Still a bit confused as to why Dan and Blair couldn't manage to get it together, Eleanor just stood in shock as the longer they took it was becoming clear that the other was pulling away.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Walking towards the street, Dan walked out far enough to hail a taxi but found that none were close enough to flag down. Pulling his cell phone out, Dan went through his cell phone and immediately went to Alessandra's number so that he could call her. Putting the phone up against his ear, Dan began to walk down the street to go towards more a busier street so that he could catch a taxi.

"Dan, hey…" Alessandra began to say

"Hey, I changed my mind. I do want to go to Paris. I made a mistake earlier and I realize that this is an opportunity of a lifetime" Dan said as he continued to walk through the crowds of people

"That's good to hear. I'm happy that you reconsidered" Alessandra told him

"Do you think it's possible that I can leave earlier?" Dan asked as he could hear a bit of a laugh on Alessandra's end

"I think it's very possible. I will see to it that we get you to Paris soon enough so that you won't change your mind" Alessandra laughed

* * *

Coming out of the Commissioner's office, Sean did all he could to make the most out of his situation at hand and with that he would take whatever punishment came his way. With that said, Sean was neither surprised but disappointed that he was in fact suspended for the rest of the playoffs by not only the league but by the team. Walking further down the hallway with his agent in tow, Sean could see the reporters waiting for his appearance. Sighing in frustration, Sean gripped on to his water bottle as he could only imagine the insane questions that were going to come his way that would run on ESPN. It was times like this that he was fortunate that in the beginning no one knew who he was because now that he wanted to escape any flash of camera, he found there was nowhere to run to. Allowing the media to swarm around him with microphones going over his head and up towards his mouth, Sean figured the sooner he could get over with the better.

"Sean, Sean!" The reporters yelled out "How do you feel about the suspension?" she then asked

"I'm not thrilled about it…it's not something I'm proud about but I respect the Commissioners decision and the owners decision. My actions were wrong and I understand that. I accept and will continue to accept the consequences handed down" Sean told him as Serena slowly emerged from the back of the crowd

"Have you had a problem with Jason Peters in the past?" The reporter asked

"Like I said, I accept my punishment for my actions. I handled the situation wrong" Sean replied

"Have you spoken to your teammates?" The reporters asked

"I have. I just expressed my apologies and told them that I will be supporting them in any shape or form that I could" Sean said as he grew tired of the questions because it just became a constant reminder of how he let his team down above everything else.

"That'll be all guys" Sean's agent said stepping in before Sean made his way towards the side exit. Loosening up his tie as he made his way out of the building, Sean groaned in frustration as he passed on taking the waiting car that was for him as he just wanted some bit of normal to his life in this moment. Sean didn't want the celebrity status that was trying to be thrust upon him, he just wanted to handle things in his own manner. Taking the alleyway as he knew it'd be quicker to get to his desired location, Sean could hear his name being called out as he could hear it was a familiar voice calling for him, but even then that wasn't enough for him to stop to turn around.

"C'mon, you have to talk to me" Serena said as she stopped her running before he finally came to his stop "We can fix this. I can get Jason to repeal his decision to go through with the chargers" she suggested before Sean quickly turned to look at her

"I don't want him repealing anything!?" Sean exclaimed

"Clearly you're upset about getting suspended" Serena stated

"Yes, it sucks but…I'm not sorry for what I did. I handled it wrong, but if I went back in that moment…I'd still do it again" Sean told her

"Knowing that it would have these repercussions? Knowing how I'd feel about it?" Serena asked

"Especially knowing how you'd feel about it…" Sean began to say

"I don't need you stepping in to protect me. This is my life, not yours. I choose to be with Jason, I choose all his flaws, I choose to love…." Serena began to say

"Stop!" Sean replied angrily as tried to keep his emotions in check "You really can't see it, can you? You can't see that what he's doing to you is wrong?" he asked

"Every couple fights" Serena reasoned

"Yes, but not every man hit's a woman. Fighting is holding out on sex, making him sleep on the sofa, you staying at your mom's house, not talking, that's fighting…not beating you so you get a broken wrist" Sean told her

"He's a good person. He has bad moments, but he's a good person" Serena reasoned

"Oh, God!?" Sean groaned "I've heard this song so many times that it's becoming sickening. I've heard the justifications to where it becomes second nature for you to say it so you yourself can believe it" he told her as he began to pace the floor "I know it so well. I see so much of what you're saying in what she used to say" he said before he turned to look at her with tears welled up in his eyes "I see you doing the same thing" he told her "I loved my father for teaching me the very game I love, but I hate him for the way he used to beat my mother. I mean there were nights on end where I used to glare my music so loud so I could drown out the sounds of him punching, kicking, slapping, and pushing but I just…I stayed in my room, I stayed quiet because he was my father. We make allowances for these people because we love them, we genuinely love them in ways that no one else can imagine. We deny the monster that they become because we know that soon they'll be that person we love again because they have to return back to that. I kept ignoring what was happening in my own home…." he said as the emotions were catching up to him of his past as he spoke to Serena "I ignore it because I knew I'd have to choose between my mother and my father, I loved them both…how do you choose between your mother and your father? How do you choose between a man that you see as your idol to a woman that loves you unconditionally?…I get that, I strongly understand where you are and where you've been but I can tell you that it was only until I grew to understand love, until I really knew what I wanted out girls and women, I knew and still know that a man should never hit a woman on any account. A man is not a man if he has to degrade or hit the person he loves just to make them feel weak" he said as he wiped away the tears while Serena did the same

"I'm sorry for what you went through….but that's not me. I have the power to walk away" Serena told him as she tried to play strong

"You possibly could, you really could but how long will it take before you finally do. What's your breaking point going to be?….I know when mine was, but when will you know yours?" Sean asked

"You've always thought I was some weak, pathetic girl that loved the attention. I still see you judging me" Serena replied becoming defensive towards him

"No, I don't think that more. I just think you let him make you feel that way because that's how he wants you to feel…" Sean began to say

"And how is supposed to make me feel?" Serena questioned

"The way I could make you feel" Sean quickly replied as Serena looked at him shock

"Wow" Serena said in response "I'm starting to get it now, I'm starting to understand why you've come to my rescue" she said as she laughed to herself as Sean just lowered his head knowing that he was taking a big risk by bringing his feelings for her into this "I'm the next status prize, huh? I'm the finally arrived gift to your celebrity status" she laughed to herself

"It's not even like that…"Sean began to say

"Did you not just say how you could make me feel?" Serena questioned

"Yes…"Sean began to say

"Then it's exactly what I think it is" Serena quickly declared "You're supposed to be my friend!? You're supposed…" she began to say

"Be what? Be the guy that stands back and lets you get abused. I'm sorry, I can't be that guy. I can't watch someone that I care about act like its okay, I've seen it too many damn times to let it happen again in my life. That may be the hell you want to live in but I don't choose to go back" Sean replied "I'm sorry that I like you…." he began to say

"So I'm supposed to leave Jason for a strong like you have of me?…I've heard you say numerous times that you weren't the relationship kind of guy. You're going through the motions in your current relationship because you're playing nice. My alternative isn't sounding any better either…" Serena said

"Yes, I said that but with you it's different" Sean said

"How?" Serena asked as a silence came between them "How would you be different? I'm with a guy that hits me and now I'm liked by a guy that can't commit in a relationship. Gee, I feel like a lucky person in this moment" she said sarcastically

"I may not be the idea choice from past relationships and even the present but I know I can treat you a hell of a lot better than he can" Sean told her "But this isn't about us being together or me liking you, this is about you. This is about you needing to see that how your being treated isn't what you deserve. I can say I could like you or maybe even love you, but you don't even love yourself. So I may not be an ideal alternative but we both couldn't offer each other anything better because if and when I fall in love with you, I want you to love yourself more than I possibly could and that, that's something he'll never push you to do" he said before he threw his tie to the ground and turned to walk away.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator, Blair braced herself for the possible bad day that she could have coming. With her curtain call on her relationship with Dan, Blair felt as if she was trying to piece herself together so that she could move forward. Blair knew that it hurt in the moment to be so harsh to Dan, but she knew the only way for Dan to accept his opportunity he'd have to feel like there was no opportunity for them. It hurt but it was a pain she was willing to go through so that he could be happy in return. Walking towards her office, Blair could hear the whispers come to a minimal but still they remained all the same from her co-workers. Entering her office, Blair was surprised to see Bex sitting in her chair looking out the window. Hearing the door open, Bex quickly turned around to see Blair coming in.

"Sorry, I was waiting for you. I thought you would've been in earlier" Bex quickly apologized as she got up from her seat

"It's okay. I was thinking about working from home today anyways" Blair sighed as she took her coat off to put on the rack "Did you need me to do something?" she asked

"No, I just wanted to talk to you. See where your head was at with all that was going on. I was in Milan this past week and got a full on show of Louis and some model, which ultimately clued me in on the status of how things are going with you two" Bex said as Blair took a seat in her chair

"Yeah, it's something that doesn't really bother me anymore" Blair sighed as she ran her hand through her hair "What happened with Louis sucked but it's not like I was all in. I understand and I'm not upset, I just…I just want things to be professional" she said

"It will. We only have the small amount of high school in the office, but you still hold a major part in my plans for you" Bex smiled

"Good" Blair smiled weakly

"Cheer up girly. Heartbreak is a part of the gig, you have the love em' moments but you gotta learn to leave em' as well. Especially with you meeting The Madame for the upcoming Fall Spread. I had a fear that Louis may cut back on his recommendations, so I was glad to see that your work spoke for itself and now, you're finally arriving to where the action is Waldorf" Bex told her

"My career is all I have. I fully intend to take advantage of it" Blair said as she stared off into the distance

"That's exactly what I like to hear" Bex smiled devilishly before Blair's cell phone began to vibrate "I'll get out of your hair and let you get to work, but clear your calendar for the end of the week, The Madame wants all of your attention" she said as she got up to leave

"Okay" Blair said only playing half attention to what she was saying as all her attention seemed to fall upon the text that she had received from Jenny.

**Jenny: Dan's leaving? Did u know?**

**Blair: Yeah. I was there wen he found out.**

**Jenny: My dad just called to tell me his farewell prty is 2nite**

**Blair: So soon?**

**Jenny: He's leaving 2morrow night**

Seeing those words, Blair's heart plummeted to the depths of her as she thought she'd have time to process him leaving. Blair knew that she had pushed him to leave with her declaration, but she never thought that he'd be leaving so soon that not even her heart had begun to go through it's routine of flushing him out. Quickly getting up from her seat, Blair needed to move around because sitting still just seemed to make her heart bleed. She let him go but why won't her heart do the same? She began to question.

* * *

Pouring the rest of the ice into the bucket for the drinks, Dan passed the bucket onto one of the caterers that his father had hired to work his so called farewell party. A bit surprised that Rufus was getting into the Upper Eastside of hiring help, Dan was relieved to see that his father at least was going to make the meal. Dan knew his father wouldn't say anything but he could see that his father might be getting into the thought of having his own catering business as a side job. Walking through the crowds of people that had began to come in, Dan was glad to see that Nate had decided to show up along with Chuck and Jenny. Making small talk with them, Jenny smiled so proudly at her brother as she hated that it would mean another summer apart, she just wanted to bask in his presence while she still could. Spotting Eleanor, Dan excused himself from his conversation before he walked over towards her and Tyler.

"And the man of the hour" Tyler declared as he gave Dan a firm handshake "Paris, I never thought my recommendation would lead you halfway across the world" he teased

"Yeah, yeah" Dan laughed "What are you doing here is the big question? Shouldn't you be in bed getting your rest?" he asked as he looked over at Eleanor

"Oh for the love of God" Eleanor sighed "You guys are my personal low jacks" she said

"I'm sure you'll appreciate it, but you should be resting not trying to…." Dan began to say

"Daniel, I love you but you worry too much" Eleanor interrupted "I wasn't going to miss this. I'm proud of you, I'm proud of you both and I plan to be there for you. So if I have to lug around my lazy body then I will do so because I want to be here, I want to have these moments with you both" she smiled proudly

"And I'm going to give up on the fight" Tyler laughed nervously "Hey, do you think I could steal a moment with you later, maybe discuss how we can keep her under lock and key?" he asked Dan

"Ha ha" Eleanor replied sarcastically

"Yeah, I'm mostly just packing but you could come by later" Dan told him

"Cool. I'm going to check in on Sean, I'll be back" Tyler said as he walked away

"I've told Harold that you were going to be near this summer, so don't think twice if you need anything. You can call him and he'll come, you can call me and I'll come, you can call anyone…" Eleanor began to say nervously

"I know. I know" Dan laughed "I have an international support system at my disposal. My dad gave me the same speech" he smiled before she leaned in to give him a hug

"For a while I thought I lost you. I thought I lost us, but now, I'm more than happy that we are where we are. You may not be my blood, but you are a son to me. You are someone I worry about, someone I need to see if time has piled up in between, someone that has been the best thing that ever happened to me and my family. I'm beyond proud not because of your success but because of the man you have become and because I tend to be a little bias towards the people I love" Eleanor told him as she held his shoulder

"I love you too" Dan smiled as he hugged her once more just as Carter began to make his way to the middle of the room to get everyone's attention.

"Can I get everyone's attention? I have a little something to say" Carter asked with a bit of laughter as everyone including Dan turned their attention towards Carter

"Oh, this should be interesting" Dan muttered to himself

"As you know, dear sweet Daniel Humphrey is leaving for Paris tomorrow" Carter said as everyone began to clap for him "It's a bit of a shock since most of us, including him thought he'd always remain in Brooklyn. Luckily our pattern of thoughts doesn't count towards much since we all lead pretty screwed up lives ourselves but Dan is someone I like to believe has always been destined for greater things. He began on this path to greatness by enlisting me as his friend for starters" he joked

"Someone's ego is beyond the size of the Brooklyn Bridge" Vanessa laughed as other joined in

"That it will continue to be, and I guess I can have the ego because I've got a partner in crime. We're like Starsky and Hutch, Andy Griffeth and Barney Fife…" Carter began to say as he couldn't help the laughter along with the others in the audience "But in all seriousness, Dan is just one of those guys that you realize is amongst the few greats in this world. He's a friend that you fight to keep and a friend that you're glad you have. So while I hoped that we could have another summer of yacht hopping and partying, I'll put those plans aside for another summer because I'm sure this summer you will only become bigger and greater at your craft to where we all have to worry about a sequel to Insider. So congrats on your success, and to Paris" he said as he toasted his friend while others joined in. Giving a silent thank you to Carter, Dan began to feel embarrassed with the many people that were showering him with love to where he never thought he could know so many people in his lifetime but he was glad to see that it was people he had come to be wrong about and people he had come to enjoy. Laughing and enjoying the moment, Dan glanced over across the room towards the entrance to see Blair walking through the door with gift in hand as she was the last person that he expected to see.

* * *

Shooting the basketball, Sean chased after his rebound as the play by play of the game played on his radio. Listening to the game was his only way of staying in tune with the team because he knew that if he would've watched the game then he'd only wish that he'd be playing. Dribbling the ball a few times as he just stood next to the radio, Sean groaned in frustration when the announcer had said that the opposing team had taken the lead for the first time in the game. Taking a seat on the ground, Sean put his hoodie on as he just leaned up against the basketball post, Sean could only hope that basketball would be in his future. With Jason having so much weight at the facility and on the team, Sean feared that his altercation would lead to a permanent dismal on the team. The sound of his cell phone ringing tore him out of his thoughts as he could only assume that it was Tyler when he answered.

"Yes, I'm fine" Sean said a bit annoyed with the constant calling that Tyler was doing

"That's great to know" Serena said weakly "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you…" she began to say

"No, no. I was just…I thought you were Tyler and I just answered" Sean reasoned as a silence came between them on the phone

"I'm sorry for how I've treated you the last time that we spoke" Serena cried

"I'm sorry that I gave you my admission of feelings. You needed a friend, not another candidate for a boyfriend" Sean admitted as a long silence came between them

"I'm too scared to leave him. I've had my thoughts on it but I'm just too scared to" Serena admitted "I love him but I don't love how I feel when I'm with him. I know all of these things but I stay because he loves me. He loves the parts of me that no one did or stuck around for. Dan didn't, Nate didn't…Jason's the only one that has stayed" she said tearfully

"From my own experience of my current relationship, just because you stay doesn't mean it's because you love that person. Sometimes you stay because it's so familiar to you or because you're afraid that no one else will love you" Sean sighed "But that's not the case with you. You have so many people that love you, the real you" he said

"My friends don't know, and I'd be horrified if they did. You're the only person that knows so clearly they can't see what's really going on" Serena told him "I'm the girl that has it all, I'm not supposed to be the girl that's too weak to leave a guy that hits her" she cried

"You know, if I were to throw my hat into the ring. I would say that we'd have a lot of fun" Sean laughed weakly as Serena couldn't help but laugh along with him

"And how would that be?" Serena asked as she entertained the idea of getting her mind off of feeling depressed by her current situation

"Well, I'd pay for your meal. That alone would make you feel special because I don't pay for every meal" Sean told her

"Wow, that's fact you shouldn't have told me" Serena laughed

"It's a fact you need to know, I'm the cheapest person that you will meet, you've seen glimpses of it but I'd definitely let you super size it…three times. You'd know basketball, any woman that I date has to at least know the basics. Then we'd do the occasional fashion shows you like, emphasis on few…" Sean began to say

"Front row of course" Serena added

"If we must" Sean laughed "Then I'd call you every time I thought about you. I'd make sure to ask about said day, we'd do our back and forth of bickering but ultimately we'd be as we always have been, we'd just be two people enjoying spending time together. I'm not an Upper Eastside guy, but I'm a guy that can show you how love should be and maybe even learn something along the way myself" he told her

"I hope that we could have that, sometime down the line, I really hope that we could see what we'd be made of" Serena said as she wiped away the tears

"We can fight and disagree all we want but I'm not going anywhere. All you have to do is walk away and I promise you, I'll make sure it's the best decision you'd ever make whether there's an us or not. You will have me" Sean told her

* * *

Doing his best to avoid the conversation they were bound to have, Dan and Blair stayed on opposite sides of the room for the better part of the evening. Occasionally Dan would see her glancing over at him but he just tried to keep his focus on those that were here to celebrate his accomplishment rather than drag out a lingering subject of the will they or won't get back together that they had going on. As the night waned on, Dan saw that his wishes were becoming harder to obtain since she was making it a point to stick it out for the evening. Finally giving up his fight, Dan walked into his room to get away for a few moments to get his thought together. Knowing that she would see this as her opportunity to finally talk with him, Dan wasn't surprised to see her walking through the door. Standing in the doorway, Blair walked in slowly to close the door behind her after she walked in further while Dan sat on the edge of the bed.

"I got you something" Blair said as she held up the box in her hand to show him

"You come with gifts, that's a first" Dan laughed to himself before he reached out to grab the box from her. Opening the box slowly, Blair looked on as he opened it up to see that it was a camera.

"I know you've wanted that camera for a while, so you going to Paris is the only fitting time to get it" Blair told him

"Thank you" Dan told her as he looked over at her

"Your welcome" Blair told him as a silence came between them "I never meant to hurt you, you have to believe that. I just…I have to do what's best for me" she said struggling to keep her lie

"And I have to do what's best for me. So at least we know that our individual entities are improving, it's just without each other" Dan told her

"But we'll still be in each other's lives. That's not going to change, right?" Blair asked with much hope

"Regardless of what we are, you're always going to be in my life. Your mother is like a mother to me, you're brother has helped me get my career. I owe your family so much that I can't just cut off contact because we couldn't get it together or….maybe we did finally get it together. We don't belong together and I think I'm finally becoming okay with that" Dan told her

"You don't have to sound so thrilled" Blair replied as she wiped away tears that were forming "I feel like you're punishing me for my decision" she said

"I'm not punishing you nor is that my intention. I just think we're becoming a bit melodramatic with the finding ourselves in order to be together, it's like we're trying to morph into different people to be better for each other when the truth should be that we should all ready be perfect for each other as is. You shouldn't have to change to be with me nor should I for you. I admit that I needed to grow up, but I grew up, I didn't change the core of who I was. This whole meant to be or taking our time to be better separately is just a bunch of crap, we either are good together or not and maybe we're just not" Dan told her

"I used to think we'd have that epic love story? The kind that defied all odds and all" Blair said as she took a seat beside him on the bed

"I don't want to be epic. I think people forget that the love stories that were epic were ultimately tragedies in the end" Dan told her "If anything we were just two people that grew a strong bond of friendship and understanding. That's our foundation, and I think maybe we'll have that as our new story" he said

"I never said that I didn't want to be with you, I just said that we couldn't be together right now…." Blair said as she began to panic at the sounds of him really giving them up for good

"I can't wait around forever and you shouldn't expect me to" Dan told her

"Those words sound familiar" Blair laughed to herself in disbelief at how the tables were turning

"You don't want a partner, you want someone that you can protect and guide through" Dan told her

"And what's wrong with that?!" Blair asked

"A relationship is about partnership. I'm pretty sure your out of the blue statement of wanting to be on your own was your way to push me towards going to Paris because that's just you, and I respect that but I don't need you to tell me what's right for me" Dan told her "I need you to be my partner and talk with me, tell me how you feel, discuss what we think is best for us both" he said

"So is this going to become a bashing session on me? Our last conversation before we leave is going to be you talking down to me" Blair questioned

"No, this is me hoping that you will see how dangerously close you are to becoming what I wrote" Dan told her "The reason we broke apart was because I never felt like you're equal. I felt like you made the choices and I just went along with it until you clued me in on what was really going on" he said

"Do you really want to throw the book in this because we both know that wasn't your finest hour" Blair replied angrily

"No, I'm not proud of that but I wrote what I wrote about you because that's how I felt and I'm beginning to see why" Dan told her "You want to be Queen, and I respect that but a Queen loves her country without no attention to herself. She loves and loves her country while her own happiness dwindles in the back ground but it's all for the sake of her country. Everyone you know is your country while you are our Queen…happiness dwindling in the back ground for the sake of others" he told her

"I know you will not understand this, but it's what's best" Blair told him

"For me, but what about you? When will you get to have your happy moment?" Dan asked "You pushed me to go to Paris, I thank you for that but it comes at the cost of the possibility of us" he said

"You'll thank me" Blair stated as she tried to stay strong

"Maybe" Dan told her before he got up from his seat "I thank you for everything and I thank you for letting me attempt to love you but I guess the Queen is truly meant to govern the affairs of her heart all on her own with no help of a King, using only passing smiles to satisfy her" he said before "You deserve happiness. If there's anything you should remember from me, know that you deserve to be happy" he told her before he leaned in slowly to kiss her on the cheek "Goodbye Waldorf" he whispered to her as he looked her in the eyes before he made his way over towards his shelf before turning to walk back towards her. Handing her the item she once wanted, Dan smiled at her as he handed one of his most prized possession, Cedric.

"Why are you giving me this?" Blair questioned

"My token of friendship. However we may be, I want you to keep this so you know that you will always be my best friend and until the day I ask for this back…then that's the day we'll truly be over" Dan told her as she slowly took the cabbage patch doll from him before he made his way out of the room. Looking on at the cabbage patch doll, Blair just found herself staring at Cedric and in some weird way, she felt responsible for Cedric. She felt like she was entrusted with his most prized possession.

* * *

Watching Jenny enjoy her time with her brother, Chuck stood along with Nate as they talked about anything and everything. Married into the Humphrey family, Chuck was beginning to see that the Rufus Humphrey cooking was something to have if you ever come to the loft and he was seeing the beginnings of Jenny's life. Chuck was glad that for one night Jenny and him were able to escape the conversations of work or the future that was ultimately taking a toll on his marriage, but Chuck felt happy with being in Jenny's world because it only made him more poised to realize that he wasn't the same guy that he used to be. Just as the night began to wane, Chuck took the time to head downstairs to hail a taxi and squeeze in a quick phone call to his mother. Finishing up his brief talk with his mother where she gave him assurance that she was still hanging around in New York, Chuck couldn't feel more relieved to know that his mother was somewhere. Turning to head back upstairs, Chuck looked over to see his father coming out as he walked towards him.

"Seems a bit odd for us both to be on this side of town" Bart replied

"That it appears to be. It's strange to see that Rufus and you seem to have much to talk about these days" Chuck replied

"People change. People grow and learn" Bart said

"People can" Chuck agreed

"I assume you've been keeping contact with your mother" Bart said

"Yes" Chuck replied "I just got finished talking to her as a matter of fact" he said

"You should be careful Chuck" Bart then stated "She's not the woman you think" he said

"And somehow I knew you'd get around to what this really is about" Chuck laughed to himself "She's my mother as you are my father" he told him

"All of which is true but as you know, this world can bring out the worst in people" Bart told him

"This world can do a lot of things. Possibly pit son against father, and with your suggestion, pit son verse mother. I think I'm more than capable of understanding what this world is about, I've played the games" Chuck said

"High school games aren't same as corporate" Bart replied

"Take down the person on top by any means, I think the rules are the same. I've learned from the master" Chuck told him

"And as a person that's played the game, I've come to know the snakes in the game which you have yet to truly see" Bart told him

"You know, I was thinking about turning down the position for CEO but seeing as you're giving me the spoilers for this world, I'm becoming intrigued with this world" Chuck said

"You're in over your head and I say this as your father" Bart said

"No, you say this as a man so desperate to get the Maxwell by any means that you're willing to run the company in the ground" Chuck sniped back as he walked towards his father "I'll make my decision and you will have to deal with it, whether it be for you or against you but it will be my decision" he said as a silence came between the two just as Jenny walked up with Chuck's coat in hand to see how tense things were

"Is everything okay?" Jenny asked as she looked on at the two of them

"Yes, everything is fine" Bart said "Your father threw a lovely party. You two have a great night" he smiled weakly before he made his way over towards his waiting car to get in while Chuck just looked on at his father leave.

"What was that all about?" Jenny asked

"Business as usual with Bart Bass" Chuck scoffed

"I thought tonight we were checking business at the door" Jenny said

"He brought it up, what more was I supposed to do?" Chuck asked

"How about not reply to it" Jenny suggested

"You don't know my father, he pokes and prods while prodding for answering. He speaks as if I don't understand the business world, I'm highly qualified" Chuck replied

"Wait, are you actually entertaining the thought of taking over at Bass Industries?" Jenny asked in disbelief

"And if I was" Chuck replied

"Chuck, you running Bass Industries is not what you want and you can't tell me that it's what you want. It's all of sudden come up ever since your mother came into town" Jenny replied

"So what? You think I can't do it now? You think I'm some puppet now to my mother?" Chuck questioned "You don't even know her" he stated

"I never said that but I know what you've never said. Chuck, you wanted to work with your father not remove him from his seat" Jenny stated

"Yeah well, I never asked for this but I'm not going to run away from this opportunity" Chuck replied

"Even if it means dashing any bit of a relationship you have with your father?" Jenny questioned

"What exactly do you want from me? This is my family legacy. I can't run from that and I won't run from it" Chuck told her before Jenny grabbed his hand

"I'm not your enemy" Jenny replied "I will fight for you but I want to be in a fight worth fighting for. I know you and I know that you don't want to ruin what you've built with your father. If there's a fight you should have, have it be with him, not against him" she told him.

* * *

**Well, you're just across the street**

**Looks a mile to my feet**

**I want to go to you**

**Funny how I'm nervous still**

**I've always been the easy kill**

**I guess I always will**

Going through his dresser drawers, Dan grabbed every item he thought he would need or should take. Looking on at the dozens of socks he had in his hands, Dan began to wonder if this was a bit over packing as he would hope that Paris would over some sun for him to at least wear his flip flops or tennis shoes. Turning to look back his suitcase, Dan saw that it was to the brim and that anything else would make it overflow. With the socks in his hands, Dan just looked around at his beginning, his place where it all began to his writing career. Never did he imagine that his path would lead him to an opportunity of a lifetime but along with that opportunity, he knew he'd be leaving behind a love a lifetime that slowly turning into a memory rather than a destination he had hoped for. Continuing forward to put his socks in the suitcase, Dan knew that he had to move forward because staying stuck in the present wasn't getting him nor her anywhere in life.

**Could it be that everything goes 'round by chance? (chance?)**

**Or only one way that it was always meant to be (be)**

**You kill me, you always know the perfect thing to say (hey hey, hey hey)**

**I know what I should do, but I just can't walk away**

Sitting up in her bed with her laptop in her lap, Blair went through the documents that were sent over for the Fall edition of Modern that she would work on along with Bex and Louis rather than be the outside looking in. Honored with the possibility of meeting The Madame, Blair wanted to feel joy for the goal she had so long wanted to achieve for her own career advancement but a part of her just couldn't get enthused. Looking over at Cedric sitting with his love, Blair couldn't help but stare on at Cedric and Audrey for a few moments to the point where she felt like her entire focus had shifted into the cabbage patch mindset of coupledom.

"You two suck" Blair griped as even the happy smiles that Cedric and Audrey wore made her feel depressed about her own love life compared to them.

**I can picture your face well**

**From the bar in my hotel**

**I wish I'd go to youI pick up put down the phone**

**Like your favorite Heatmeiser song goes**

**It's just like being alone**

Tossing the basketball to the side as he entered his apartment, Sean quickly closed the door behind him before heading over towards the fridge to grab a bottle of water. Feeling the vibration come from his cell phone against his leg, Sean quickly pulled his phone out to see that it was Rochelle calling. Thinking of whether or not to answer, Sean just sighed as he ignored the call. In the back of his mind, Sean knew that he was wrong for not participating in a relationship he promised to help rebuild but he just couldn't find the strength to think of anything else but the loss his team endured and the thoughts of what type of night Serena would endure.

**Oh God, please don't tell me this has been in vain (vain)**

**I need answers for what all the waiting I've done means (means)**

**You kill me, you've got some nerve, but can't face your mistakes (hey hey, hey hey)**

**I know what I should do, but I just can't turn away**

Listening on to the phrases that were being thrown around so carelessly, Carter just felt the cold wire against his body and just did his best to process a good outcome to what he was about to do. Cops saying secret codes of what he should say if things were to turn for the worse, Carter tried to pick up on it but just found himself looking on at the very thing that could get him killed. This was the very wire that stood between his freedom or his death and all Carter could do was look to this wire for relief as opposed to the words that were being spoken.

**So go on loveLeave while there's still hope for escape**

**Got to take what you can these daysT**

**here's so much ahead**

**So much regretI know what you want to say(Know what you want to say)**

**I know it but can't help feeling differently**

**I loved you, and I should have said it**

**But tell me just what has it ever meant**

Writing the final word of his acceptance to the job at Los Angeles Times, Tyler looked on at the words on his lap top with a heavy heart as he could only hope that he was doing the best thing. Fighting the battle of what to do, Tyler found his heart still leaning towards his dream a dream that he had spoke of to his parents David and Marcy Adams. A dream that his father had worked two jobs just for him to achieve while his mother cut back on the house spending just so they could put a little bit more into their savings account so that he could get into the special writing school. This wasn't just his dream, it was a dream that his family had sacrificed for.

**I can't help it baby, this is who I am (am)S**

**orry, but I can't just go turn off how I feel (feel)**

**You kill me, you build me up, but just to watch me break (hey hey, hey hey)**

Smiling at the day she had, Eleanor didn't feel as weak she would've thought. Living was the only thing that gave her the strength and healing that she needed to fight against her cancer rather than wilting away in the bed. Cyrus had accepted her decision but was glad to see that his wife was more than thrilled to welcome a nice bed for sleep and a hot bath that he was more than willing to prepare for her. Just as she made her way upstairs, Eleanor felt the vibration come from her cell phone and her first thought was to ignore it but since the day had done so well, it wouldn't hurt to see a bit of business along the way. Opening up the e-mail that her financial advisor had sent to her, Eleanor began to read on only to have a surprising reaction

**I know what I should do, but I just can't walk away**

* * *

Going over the numerous details she had to remember for her meeting, a meeting that would have her come face to face with her icon that she could only read about. Walking towards her office, Blair rummaged through her oversized bag as she was looking for the tube of lipstick that she saw as her good luck charm. Getting into her office, Blair quickly put her bag down as she began to look through her file cabinet for her presentation that she had prepared on her spare time to just show that she was more than prepared for the meeting. Just as she scurried around her office, Bex walked in with Blackberry in hand as she kept watch on the time. Walking back towards her desk, Blair put her files together before she once again went back to finding her tube of lipstick.

"I think I'm highly intrigued with the possibility of firing your replacement. She brought me a lukewarm cup of coffee" Bex said as she looked up from her blackberry "What are you spazzing out over?" she asked

"I'm not spazzing, I'm getting organized" Blair sighed "How do I look? I feel like I'm running around with my head cut off like some chicken" she said

"Oh, is that this season's Chloe?" Bex asked with a smile from ear to ear

"Bex, I'm talking about the whole package not the purse, and yes it is" Blair told her

"Blair, you look fine. The Madame is not hear to critique you on sense of style. She has her own surprises to give out and little pertains to wardrobe" Bex told her as Blair turned towards her bag "This is your career, you're about to get everything you ever deserved" she told her just as Blair dug around in her bag to pick up the oversized object that she kept touching on her rummaging mission. Picking up the item, Blair froze once she saw the item in her hand. "Aw, how cute. Is that your cabbage patch doll?" she asked

"No…this is Dan's" Blair replied as she kept staring at Cedric

"You carry his cabbage patch?" Bex questioned

"I didn't mean to…I must've just kept grabbing things and he went in the bag" Blair replied still in a haze

"Oh, well you could just leave it behind. I'm sure a cabbage patch…" Bex began to say

"Cedric" Blair quickly corrected

"Cedric is the doll's name?" Bex asked in confusion

"Yes. He named it Cedric because in his favorite book, the character he most related to was named Cedric" Blair smiled at the memory of Dan telling her the story during passing moments in their relationship

"That's a bit strange, but we should be going to the budget meeting" Bex suggested as she sighed while Blair continued to stare on at the doll just thinking of the memories that were once so small but bigger than ever int his moment. Tears coming to her eyes, Blair looked up from Cedric towards Bex. "Why are you crying?" she asked

"I can't do this" Blair told her

"Do what?" Bex asked

"I can't choose this, my career. This isn't what I want" Blair said

"You get all of this from a cabbage patch…I mean Cedric?" Bex asked becoming confused

"No, I get all of this from him. This job is a stop towards my future but it's not the destination I've always wanted" Blair said before she looked over at the clock "And I only have about two hours to prove that….I'm so sorry but I have to go" she said as she quickly grabbed her purse and began to run out of the office leaving Bex in state of surprise as the person that was supposed to be there was now fleeing. Pulling out her cell phone, Bex began to dial the familiar number.

"There's been a change of plans….yes, I know but she just left" Bex said as she waited for her response "Okay well good luck with your stop. I hope it goes as planned" she sighed before she ended the call

* * *

Putting the last of her things in the bag, Serena just grabbed everything and anything that she could get her hands on in the closet. Stuffing her clothes in the bag, Serena didn't care about the niceties of how the bags look as her main focus was to just get out. Hearing the door close from downstairs, Serena froze for a moment as she knew once he saw the bags he'd only come to one conclusion as to what she was planning to do. Grabbing her phone, Serena ducked away in the bathroom to call Sean. Hearing the phone ring and ring, Serena sighed in frustration as it went straight to voicemail. Trying a few more times, Serena reluctantly gave up hope and knew that she had to walk out on her own two feet in the end. It would be a fight but it was a fight that she would walk out proudly of.

"What the hell is this?" Jason asked as he entered the room to see her bags

"I could ask the same thing" Serena said as she began to play the clip of her talking about her mother "I found this uploaded to your computer!" she replied

"Why the hell are you going through my stuff?!" Jason asked as he tried to grab the phone away from her but she wouldn't give it up "Serena, give the phone. If you know what's best, give up the phone" he told her through gritted teeth before Serena tugged on the phone.

"You're supposed to be my boyfriend!? Not the guy that breaks up my relationship with my mother" Serena exclaimed

"Oh, please. Your bitch of a mother does that all on her own" Jason replied as he pushed past her and began to make his way into the closet to get undressed

"How sick and demented do you have to be to ruin my relationship with my mother?" Serena questioned as Jason just laughed

"Apparently not too much because it only took a little clip for your mother to disown you like some piece of trash that you are" Jason replied

"Or imagine what the media would think if they knew you'd stoop so low" Serena fired back

"Wow, you're extra mouthy tonight. Suppose you put that mouth to better use in lower areas rather than running it all the damn time" Jason said

"I'm done" Serena quickly replied "I'm done with you. I'm done with this relationship. I'm done" she told him

"You're done. You're breaking up with me?" Jason questioned

"Yes, I'm breaking up with you" Serena replied as Jason just shook his head

"Okay" Jason told her "We had a good run and I accept your decision. I mean I knew it wouldn't last, you were just….you weren't the girl I thought you were, a bit slutty, but not the girl I pegged you to be certainly not the one I would take home" he told her "So you're free. You can go off and be Serena van der slut all you want because I have no claim to you. You are free" he told her as Serena just felt even more disgusted by looking at him. Grabbing her bags, Serena gave him a look one last time before she eventually made her way out of the room. Taking her cell phone out of her pocket, Serena began to dial Sean's number once more only to see that she got his answering machine once more. Just as she began to sigh, Serena felt a hard push against her back that propelled her down the stairs. Coming to a hard fall, Serena rolled around in pain as it didn't take her long to realize who had pushed her to her to the floor "I told you once before, you leave, you die. Welcome to death bitch" he said before he motioned to kick her in the stomach just before Serena pulled his leg out to cause him to fall to the floor. Engaging in a tussle, Serena found herself fighting back for the first time, whether it may have been minimal, Serena did all she could to protect herself in this fight.

**_Meanwhile…_**

Taking in his decision, Sean looked on at Tyler one last time to make sure that he was completely secure with his decision. Looking on at his friend, Sean could see how heavy this decision was for his friend but most importantly what he'd be walking away from. It was not too long ago that Tyler was hell bent on his career, only caring about his friendships while mourning the loss of his girlfriend and his parents and from that, Sean saw Tyler grow into a person that was living a little bit more a day at a time. Knowing that Tyler was looking for his opinion on the matter as not just his best friend but as his family now, Sean had to put his own selfishness aside that wanted his best friend to stay but answer in the sense of how his mother and father would've answered.

"I'm not exactly thrilled for my own reasons, but I…I understand. I know how important this is to you" Sean sighed

"I didn't just make this decision today. I've been thinking about this honestly and put a lot of consideration into what I was going to do" Tyler quickly told him

"Even the process of telling Eleanor?" Sean asked

"Even that" Tyler sighed "I've talked with Dan and he said that he would check on her in a consistent basis. I'll fly in to visit often, then you could check on her…" he said

"That's if I remain in New York" Sean said

"Why wouldn't you remain in New York?" Tyler questioned before he finally realized what he had said and what was going on "That's if your Rambo fighting doesn't get you traded" he then stated

"Yes, my Rambo like action" Sean sighed "Look, I'm glad that you didn't rush into this but you make the call. I know that they would be happy for you and I know that because I know your parents well enough to say that. You deserve this Ty" he told him

"And you mean this?" Tyler asked

"I mean this" Sean replied as they both breathed a sigh of relief as the heavy topic was finally off the table

"Nice try though, what's your back up plan if you should be traded?" Tyler asked getting back to Sean

"I have no choice but to play where I go to. I can't exactly protest. I'm hoping that my contract will keep me here but then Jason has so much influence" Sean said

"Was it really worth fighting him?" Tyler asked

"It really was" Sean laughed "I mean he was a smug son of a bitch and it just felt good to get in a few good shots on him" he said

"Well" Tyler laughed as he had to agree that Jason Peters wasn't exactly a guy he had liked either "Was it worth for the girl? What does Serena think?" he asked

"I'm not quite sure. I revealed in a heated argument that I could treat her better, all of which she thought I was just trying to get her as my arm candy, but then we talked and she seemed into the possibility" Sean told him

"That's good" Tyler smiled "I mean that sounds like progression" he said

"It is but I can't exactly expect her to be with me after getting out of a relationship such as this one. We're going to have some struggles ahead" Sean said

"Do you think you could handle it? The struggles, I hate to say this but you don't exactly have a good track record with hanging in" Tyler said

"I know but it's only because I never had anyone to hang in there for. I care about Rochelle and I want to do right by her, but I don't feel anything. We go on a break but yet she wants to work it out, so I can't exactly say no I don't want to" Sean said

"Why not?" Tyler asked

"Because I'm a nice guy. Nice guy doesn't say no all the time, we say maybe or we'll see, not no" Sean said "With Serena, I want to say yes to everything. I mean if she asks for a combo at Mcdonald's, I'm saying yes. If I go to the gas station before a date and it asks if I want all forty dollars worth of gas on the card, I say yes, I don't want to do split payments. If we go to the movies and I pay with no real intention of getting popcorn but she asks, I want to say yes. This is the girl you say yes to because you know in the end she's worth it…she's a yes in every category I've ever wanted in a girl, she's a yes and could possibly lead to being the one " he said

"Oh, my God" Tyler laughed "You love this girl" he smiled

"Possibly" Sean laughed

"Well look, I want to hear more about this say yes motto you have going for your imaginary relationship, but I'm starved and I was thinking we could grab a quick bite to eat before I go over to see Eleanor" Tyler said just as Sean got up from his seat

"Yeah, yeah. I get the point" Sean said as he walked over to grab his wallet and his phone only to realize that Serena had called him sixteen times "I'll catch up with you, I need to talk with her" he told Tyler

"Oh, God. I'm all ready being replaced in your life" Tyler sighed as he made his way out. Trying to get in contact with Serena, Sean began to get fearful as it wasn't like her not to pick up. After his discussion with Tyler, Sean became more eager than anything to talk with Serena about not only their possibility but to see the possibility of life without Jason. Taking the initiative, Sean quickly made his way out of the apartment as he sent Tyler a quick text to tell him of a change of plans.

_**Here's the thing about decisions. It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. You can't make progress without making decisions.**_

Sliding the proposal package that was sent to him by the board towards his mother, Chuck sighed as he knew that this was the only decision he had to make at this point in the game. Looking on at the package, Elizabeth could see that Chuck had put a great deal of thought and consideration into his choice but had no clue what the ramifications would be behind it. For a moment they sat in silence before she finally leaned forward towards Chuck.

"I can't. I know that you stuck your neck out for me but I just can't" Chuck told her

"You really don't have a choice in this Charles" Elizabeth told him

"What does that mean?" Chuck asked

"It means that if you want to protect your father, which I suspect you're doing right now, then you'll take this opportunity. Bart's done things in his past and this company will be the first thing that will be on the list of things to destroy along with him" Elizabeth told him "If you want to protect him then you need to do so by taking away the very thing that makes him powerful in the eyes of those that want him dead" she said as Chuck looked at her in confusion.

**_The hardest thing in life is to determine which bridges to cross and which ones to burn._**

Walking up the driveway, Sean could see that very neighbor that he once spoke to standing by the hedges of her garden as he continued to walk towards the front door. Seeing that it was opened slightly, Sean entered cautiously to see that items were broke through out as the entry closet looked as if it was about to fall off the hinges. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Sean continued to walk into the house and along with that fear he had it was only confirmed by the horrified look that Serena had on her face. Looking at her hand that was covered with blood and a gun in it, Sean looked down further to see that Serena was standing over the lifeless body of Jason.

"I didn't know what to do" Serena cried "I didn't' mean to. I swear to you, it just happened so quickly" she cried as his ears immediately picked up the sounds of police sirens going off

"It's okay" Sean said as he quickly ran over towards her

"I was trying to walk away…I was coming to you" Serena cried as Sean looked at her for a moment knowing that time was working against them in the present "I was just trying to leave" she sobbed before Sean pulled her into a hug to where the blood was pressed against his shirt. Holding her closely, Sean slid his hand down her arm to take the gun out of her hand to where he was now holding it. Looking at him in shock, Serena immediately began to shake her head "No, no. You can't do this" she began to protest as he pulled the gun away from her

"You're going to walk away and you're going to pretend…." Sean whispered to her

"You didn't do this, I did this!" Serena yelled as tears streamed down her face "I can't let you" she said just as the door kicked open

"It's not up to you anymore" Sean told her

"Police! Put your hands up!" The officer yelled as guns were immediately drawn before Sean slowly put the gun down to hold his hands up in the air. In one quick motion, the cops swarmed around him to capture him while Serena did all she could to protest while the officer read off Sean's Miranda rights as he was being handcuffed.

"Sean! Sean!" Serena cried out as she wanted nothing more than for this nightmare to stop while the officer held her back. Hanging his head low, Sean did the only thing he could think to do in the moment and that was to protect her.

**_Indecision becomes decision with time. _**

Hearing the votes begin to collect in his favor, Chuck looked across the board table as he knew with the final vote he was going to take away the one thing his father had strived for. Staring at each other, Chuck could see his father's heart breaking before his very eyes. It had been a sight that he had wanted to see for the longest of times but he never imagined that it would hurt this bad in this moment. With that final vote, Chuck knew that any hope at having a good relationship with his father had been blown to shreds.

"And with this final vote, we have a new CEO to Bass Industries" The chairmen said just as those around Bart rose to their feet to clap in congratulations for Chuck. Continuing to look on each other, Chuck phased out those that were celebrating him only to see the one person that he was hurting in the process "Charles Bartholomew Bass" he stated as Chuck knew this was his moment that he had to capture. Rising to his feet, Chuck forced a smile as he thanked those that had voted for him and gave out assurances. While he stood taking the reigns of the company, Elizabeth stood off in the back round with biggest of smirks on her face. Pulling her cell phone out, she began to send a text.

Elizabeth: Phase one worked perfectly.

Jack: As I knew it would. Soon we'll take it all.

Looking through the glass into the boardroom, Jenny didn't have to guess to hard as to what had happened. Smile from ear to ear, Jenny wanted to be happy for Chuck but she couldn't help but feel a sadness in her heart. A sadness that let her know that this might be the beginning of the end for them, could their two world collide to keep their union of marriage alive or be the differences that would tear them apart. Turning to walk towards the elevator while she was still unseen, Jenny boarded the elevator to escape the moment. Looking up, Chuck and Jenny locked eyes before the elevator doors finally closed on them.

**_The doors we open and close each day decides the lives we live._**

Ignoring all calls that he was sure from Asher, Nate decided it was best that any form of a conscience was best put to the side. In the fight to be accepted amongst his peers and to himself, Nate found the fight that he was battling against his family was one that he couldn't handle any longer. Against what he knew to be true about himself, Nate knew that he wasn't strong enough to stand on his own in this life that he chose to accept. He wasn't proud but he just wanted his family back by any means and if that meant selling his soul to the devil then he was willing to do so.

"I'm glad you called Nate" Tripp said "We have a lot to discuss" he smiled

"I want my family back, that's all we need to discuss and I think you're the only one that can make that happen" Nate replied

"I could possibly influence it" Tripp said "But you've done your damage to this family, how can I trust you?" he asked

"Because…we're family. We're our own worst enemies, and the saying goes…" Nate began to say

"Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer" Tripp smiled

**_Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible with your approach._**

Stepping off the elevator, Tyler looked over towards Eleanor's office to see that the light was on. In an office that had been pitch dark for some time since the news of her cancer, Tyler found it surprising that now it seemed to be in commission. Opening the door, Tyler quickly saw all that encompassed the office from her company and even Cyrus that sat beside her holding her hand. Standing in confusion, Tyler had hoped that this wasn't the beginning to the bad for Eleanor especially with what his intentions were of coming here.

"What's going on?" Tyler asked as he looked around at the somber faces that sat in the room while Eleanor began to wipe away tears

"We don't have to do this, we can weigh our options" Cyrus whispered to her

"There are no options, I only have one option!" Eleanor sniped at him as her patience was strongly being tested

"Okay, what the hell is going on? Why are you doing business when you should be in bed?" Tyler asked becoming defensive

"Because my business, my company that I have worked for…I've been forced to file for bankruptcy. Waldorf designs is on the brink of collapse" Eleanor told him as he stood in shock.

**_Sometimes our decisions can lead to positive outcomes and then there are times when they can lead to negative outcomes._**

Watching as they lead Dominic Nicks in with handcuffs around his wrists, Carter could only breath a sigh of relief at the fact that he was once again able to see another day but that he had his freedom. Once the coast was clear, Carter stood at the doorway just letting his freedom sink in before he looked over to see Vanessa looking back at him. With the weakest of smiles, Carter wanted to walk over to hug her but he could see a sadness that stopped him from doing so. She was glad for his freedom but she knew that in this moment she was the loser. The only father she had ever known was on the cusp of being taken from her, so it was hard to fake happiness when the sounds of her mother crying rang loudly in her ears. They knew this day would come, a day in which Dominic would be taken down for his business practices but she just never thought that it would all tie in with her boyfriend and her brother. Coming out of the interrogation room, Nikki stood in between the two as he looked over at his family to see that in a matter of hours he had been labeled the traitor amongst the family. Giving the warmest of gratitude that she could to Carter, Vanessa knew that the battle had only begun in her family. He'd hope to feel like the hero in this situation, but he only came out as the loser in this scenario. Turning to walk away, Carter was glad to leave with his freedom above everything else.

* * *

**I can be selfish**

**Yeah, so impatient**

**Sometimes I feel like Marilyn Monroe**

**I'm insecure yeah I make mistakes**

**Sometimes I feel like I'm at the end of the road**

Running out of the building, Blair threw her hand up trying to flag down a taxi as quickly as possible. Taxi's passing my, Blair cursed at them as she knew that every minute counted in her getting to her destination on time.

_**[Flashback; From the Beginning; Poison Ivy]**_

_**"I'm trying Humphrey" Blair said through gritted teeth "You can't stand me. I can't stand you. So why don't we just admit that and move on from this" she said**_

_**"So is this a momentary thing due to guilt and ignorance of facts or is this something that's going to stick?" Dan asked**_

_**"Me disliking you is pretty much set in stone" Blair replied "But I think I can dislike you while you still work here" she compromised**_

_**"So what? Your unfiring me now?" Dan asked**_

_**"Yes, I'm unfiring you" Blair said**_

_**"Is this the closest I'm every going to get to an apology?" Dan asked**_

_**"This is the closest your going to get to me" Blair replied**_

_**"Fair enough" Dan said as he turned to take off his jacket**_

_**"Humphrey" Blair said as he turned to look at her "You tried, yesterday…you tried to warn me and then stop me. Why not let me go through with it not knowing the repercussions?" she asked]**_

_**"Because, Waldorf, I don't think your that heartless as your proclaim to be" Dan smirked before he headed back into the kitchen**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**I can get low I can get low**

**Don't know which way is up**

**Yeah I can get high, I can get high**

**Like I could never come down**

_**[Flashback; From the Beginning; Blair Waldorf Must Pie]**_

_**"There are actually people who do the right thing because they just want to do the right thing" Dan told her**_

_**"Those people don't exist" Blair replied**_

_**"True, our existence if becoming fewer by the minute, but I guarantee you that your looking at one" Dan said**_

_**"Can you be honest with me?" Blair asked as she began to play with her fingers**_

_**"I always try to be" Dan laughed**_

_**"Do you think something is wrong with me?" Blair asked "I mean now that you know the truth" she said as he took a moment to think**_

_**"Nothing is wrong with you" Dan said as he could tell how scared she was to even really talk about it, so not wanting to force the issue, a thought quickly popped into his head over something that he had discovered about her "Though I do think you will think something is wrong with me after I show you something" he said before he got off the bed and walked over to his back pack while Blair just looked over to see what he was doing. Coming back over with two cabbage patch dolls in hand, Dan smiled like an idiot as he put each one on his lap**_

_**"Oh my God!" Blair groaned "I can't believe your torturing me like this" she declared as she brought her hands up to her face so that she wouldn't have to see her childhood doll.**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**Call it a curseOr just call me blessed**

**If you can't handle my worst**

**You ain't getting my best**

**Is this how Marilyn Monroe felt felt felt felt?**

**Must be how Marilyn Monroe felt felt felt felt**

_**[Flashback; From the Beginning; Thin Line Between Nate and Chuck]**_

_**"I don't want to define or label…I just want to do" Blair said "That sounded like a sexual reference, but it wasn't intended to be" she told him**_

_**"I know" Dan replied "So are we just the others secret or something until we figure what this is?" he asked**_

_**"I mean we'd have to be, why risk the sure thing on something uncertain" Blair said as Dan just laughed "What's so funny?" she asked**_

_**"Lets just say I've heard that saying or that belief" Dan replied**_

_**"So how about it? Do you want to be my dirty little secret?" Blair asked him as he took a moment to think. Under no circumstance would he have ever allowed things to get to this point, he was too decent of a guy to let things manifest to point where he was someone's secret. As much as he wanted to depend on his morals and do the right thing, the right thing just escaped him as he just became a prisoner of the moment. Quickly leaning in towards her, he captured her lips in a savage like manner as she pulled him closer towards her.**_

_**[End of the Flashback]**_

**Its like all the good things**

**They fall apart like…**

**Like Marilyn Monroe**

_**[Flashback; Second Time Around; Ex-Files]**_

_**"That I might need you more than you need me" Blair said as tears welled up in her eyes **_

_**"I know that's not the reasons on top of reasons that you asked for but it's all I got" she said**_

_**"No, I think that's a pretty good reason" Dan told her as he just looked at her**_

_**"I want to be with you. I want to start making your promises come to life" Blair said as he tucked away a strand of hair from her face**_

_**"Good, because I had this crazy idea that I might want to be with you too" Dan told her as the distance between them began to wane**_

_**"So regardless of the rankings, I don't want you to talk to other girls. You and me. Waldorf and Humphrey" Blair said as she pressed her forehead up against his**_

_**"Or Humphrey and Waldorf" Dan smiled**_

_**"Waldorf and Humphrey. I ranked number two of the girls, so if we apply that to this relationship then…" Blair said as she began to babble**_

_**"Waldorf" Dan said**_

_**"What?" Blair asked**_

_**"I don't care about the rankings right now in this moment. I'm about to kiss you, so lets just let that be a stored away debate that we can talk about later" Dan said**_

_**"Later" Blair smiled before he leaned in to kiss her. Kissing in the rain, Blair finally felt like something made sense about this whole week, though she had lost her number one spot, she was glad that she was number one in Dan's heart still after everything.**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**Truth is we mess up**

**Till we get it right**

**I don't want to end up losing my soul**

_**[Flashback; Second Time Around; The Grandfather]**_

_**"Which proves my point, you shouldn't be involved in this. The rest of us know too much or have done too much that is bad as is, I don't want you involved at all" Blair said with a stern face "You're parents are right about me this time…I'm not that girl for you" she said**_

_**"You managed to think of all this. Tell me about your belated friend, then break up with me….you've put your mind into overdrive" Dan said**_

_**"I'm being serious" Blair replied "You don't get a say in this….I'm ending this. I'm breaking up with you" she said as she got up from her seat on the sofa "I had fun, but this has to be over. You're not smart enough to realize it, but we both know that I have to see the bigger picture for us and there is none" she said before she attempted to leave but Dan had grabbed on to her arm to stop her. Pulling her towards him, Blair did all she could to fight Dan's grip off her, but found that his strength was beyond her. "Let go of me" she angrily muttered**_

_**"No" Dan replied before she gave a valiant effort to escape his clutches but once again met defeat**_

_**"Let go of me!" Blair yelled as she tugged against him until she slowly gave up hope. Trying to be strong, Blair couldn't help but feel the tears coming to her eyes "I can't let you…" she cried**_

_**"I'm not asking" Dan told her "I love you. Plan and simple, I love you through good and bad. We've had our bad, but I love you" he said as Blair felt each word tug at her heart**_

_**"I'm going to disappoint you. Once this gets out, I will disappoint you" Blair reasoned**_

_**"And if you do, I'm still going to love you" Dan replied as he looked her dead in the eyes to where she could see the tears in his eyes "You're my family Waldorf…I can't let you go" he said as they both stood with tears in their eyes before Blair finally wrapped her arms around Dan to pull him into a hug. Holding her tighter than before, Dan just wanted to hold on as long as he could because any thought of losing Blair was damaging at best to his frame of mind.**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**I can get low, I can get low**

**Don't know which way is up**

**Yea I can get high, I can get high**

**Like I could never come down**

Getting out of the taxi, Blair quickly ran through the crowds of people that were filing into the airport. Weaving in and out of lines with security chasing behind her, Blair knew that she didn't have much time as New York traffic had ate up most of her allotted time.

_**[Flashback; Second Time Around; Seder Anything]**_

_**"Patronize you! I'm trying here Blair…. What am I suppose to do? What should I be doing in this situation? Because I'm having a hard time with this" Dan replied**_

_**"I don't want you to tell me it will be all right because at the end of the day, they're coming after one of us. There is a real possibility that I might go to jail just based off the fact that the public want someone's head for this. Regardless of what I do, I'm screwed. So I'm sorry if I can't just buy into your words right now" Blair said with a bit of annoyance in her voice**_

_**"So what, I'm the bad guy now. You shut me out, is this what's happening?" Dan asked**_

_**"Yes, Dan. If that's what you think this is, than yes. I'm shutting you out" Blair replied sarcastically**_

_**"I think I warrant some bit of respect on this. I'm not the enemy nor the public. I'm the guy that loves you. I'm the guy that knows and still has managed to support you!" Dan yelled**_

_**"I never asked you to. I gave you your out and you decided to stay. Well you wanted to stay, this is what you're staying for" Blair replied angrily**_

_**"No, I didn't stay for you to act like a complete bitch to me because all I'm trying to do is be here for you" Dan said as he threw her bag to the floor**_

_**"Then I really don't know what to tell you because I can't do this right now. I have to much to worry about to worry about being polite. I can't…..I can't let you in, not now" Blair replied as tears fell from her eyes**_

_**"Fine. Whatever" Dan laughed in disbelief "Call me when you're ready to talk" he said before he turned to leave. Standing still in her spot, Blair took in the image of Dan leaving as she stood just kicking herself for being that of a bitch to Dan. Turning to look at herself in the mirror, Blair sighed in frustration**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**Call it a curse**

**Or just call me blessed**

**If you can't handle my worst**

**You ain't getting my best**

**Is this how Marilyn Monroe felt felt felt felt?**

**Must be how Marilyn Monroe felt felt felt felt**

_**[Flashback; Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal; The Grandfather Part II]**_

_**"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry" Blair apologized "I just don't want us to rush in to something. If and when we decide to get married, I want us both to be good in our careers with stability" she said**_

_**"So is this being based off of jobs now?" Dan asked**_

_**"I'm in the beginning stages of my job and I don't want to make such a big commitment until we both are stable in our routine. I mean their might be times where I have to go out of town for work or you might have to" Blair said "If we're married then we'll feel guilty for not being able to carve out time for each other on a regular basis" she said**_

_**"And that's something we shouldn't do in our relationship?" Dan questioned**_

_**"I didn't mean it like that" Blair replied "Look, I love you. I'm committed to you and I don't want to lose you…so just trust me when I say that this no isn't because I don't want to be with you, it's because I want us to be sure about our future together" she said before they sat in silence for a few moments. Feeling as if she was sitting on a pin of needles while she waited for his response, Dan leaned forward to kiss the side of her cheek.**_

_**"Okay…I trust you on this" Dan whispered before Blair quickly pulled his face towards her so she could capture his lips with hers**_

**Take me or leave me**

**I'll never be perfect**

**Believe me I'm worth it**

**So take me or leave me(So take me or leave me)**

**So take me or leave me(So take me or leave me)**

_**[Flashback; Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal; The Sixteen Year Old Virgin]**_

_**"You're lost" Blair told him as he just looked at her "You've said it yourself, you're drowning and being with me…you think it will help because it'd make the night less lonely but it won't erase what you feel. I'd want nothing more to save you the way you saved me, but I can't because even though you want me, you don't need me. You need yourself and I've just been to selfish to admit that to you" she said**_

_**"If you love someone then there supposed to be a part of you, so how do you know that you're not what I need" Dan questioned as he hung his head knowing that this wasn't going to end the way he wanted it to**_

_**"That person does become a part of you but they don't become all of you. Consuming love sounds romantic but it's not something I'm willing to have and neither should you because you deserve more. So I don't want to be the reason you fail or succeed in this world, please don't make me that because that's not fair to yourself" Blair said**_

_**"What am I supposed to do?….you're all I have" Dan muttered**_

_**"And that's the part that needs to change. I'm not all you have, I'm just all you want" Blair said as she wiped away tears from her face before a silence came between them**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**Call it a curse or just call**

**Me blessed if you can't handle**

**My worst you ain't getting my best**

**Is this how Marilyn Monroe felt, felt**

**Felt, felt? Must be how Marilyn Monroe felt,Felt, felt, felt**

_**[Flashback; Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal; Inglorious Bassterds]**_

_**"I guess that's true" Dan said "I don't know what Louis did or said, but I can assure you that he's completely wrong because as a guy that was your first, you'll always be a tough act to follow in my book in the dating and sexual sense" he said**_

_**"That sounds so shallow" Blair said through tears before she leaned over to hug him "I need to hear that" she told him as he just laughed before she pulled away "Do you still feel the same way about my body as you did the first time?" she asked "You know if you could think back to the last, numerous times we had sex" she told him**_

_**"I still love your body" Dan told her**_

_**"You're not just saying that are you?" Blair asked**_

_**"When you love someone, you love every part of them. There's no room for discrimination in love" Dan told her as Blair felt the tears coming to stop since this talking thing was actually working for her. "And I don't worry about my number one spot anymore because I know in the end, I'm going to be your last" he smiled before he got up from his seat beside her**_

_**"And how do you know that?" Blair asked as she looked up at him**_

_**"Because you were always my destination" Dan said as he handed her the manuscript**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**Is this how Marilyn Monroe**

**Felt, felt, felt, felt must be how**

**Marilyn Monroe felt, felt, felt, felt?**

Running through the airport with his heels in hand, Blair looked high and low as she could only go off memory as to where Dan could be. Terminal Three. Terminal Three. That's all she kept thinking to herself as she was getting closer and closer to that terminal. Feeling as the moment was all too familiar, Blair stopped in her pursuit to see that where he was supposed to be, he wasn't anymore. Looking on at the doors closing on the doors closing off the terminal for the rest of public. Blair walked towards the window to see them move the ramp that connected to the plane. Breathing a heavy dose of heartache, Blair felt like breathing had become so much of a task that she could only feel like that girl that had rushed after him once before only to realize that her pride had got the best of her but in this scenario, it was her will to protect him forgetting that in all of this it was what they as a couple needed in this time, which was to just be together. Flopping down on her seat, Blair sat in disbelief before she slowly began to get her dignity in tact by putting on one shoe at a time. Getting up from her seat, Blair held her tears for a time where she wasn't in such a public place. Continuing to walk, Blair paid no attention to where she was going before she bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry" The guy said as Blair looked up in pure excitement as the voice sounded so family

"You didn't leave!" Blair exclaimed before she quickly wrapped her arms around him in excitement while he stood in confusion

"Well I'm about to" Dan replied as she pulled herself off of him "What are you even doing here? I thought you had work?" he asked

"I do, I did" Blair told him "I sort of left to come here" she told him

"Why? You up for another round of maybe we will, maybe we won't?" Dan asked

"That sort of depends on you" Blair said as Dan just gave her a look before he adjusted the strap on his carryon bag

"I'm not doing this Blair. I meant what I said, I can't do this anymore. I'm leaving and you have your career. There's no possible way we can work" Dan told her as he walked forward

"And what if we could?" Blair asked as he just turned to look at her

"I'm not going to be governed by you and I don't think you're ready to have a partner in this" Dan told her "I'll be in Paris and you'll be here getting more engulfed in your work. You could say that you would visit but let's be honest, you'll be too busy to. So why set up disappointment" he told her

"And what if I was with you?" Blair asked

"We could be together but the scenario would still be the same, long distance kills a relationship or a potential one" Dan told her "Waldorf…" he began to say

"No, I meant what if I was with you as in Paris. What if I bought a ticket? which happens to be your flight since I got the earlier flight wrong. What if long distance wasn't a factor?" Blair asked "Then what?" she asked as she walked towards him

"We'd still have our careers to think about" Dan told her "As someone once told me, I don't want to be the reason you succeed or fail in life" he told her

"That's the funny thing, I had the opportunity to enhance my career. I'm talking get to a point where I've always wanted to be at in the magazine, but the strangest thing happened…do you know what?" Blair asked

"I have no clue" Dan told her as he was intrigued to hear this story

"I forgot that I had Cedric in my bag. I know it's reckless but he was there, in this moment where my life was about to get to the point where I always wanted it to, and like you, he was there. He was there to remind me that what I always wanted wasn't a job title or to be powerful…" Blair began to say

"It kind of was what you wanted. I remember when we met you said I want to be powerful…" Dan began to say

"Humphrey, this is my declaration. Would you just shut up and let me declare?" Blair asked

"Back to you" Dan said giving her the floor back

"I've always wanted that fairytale, where I find the prince and we live happily ever after. Well it hasn't been the easiest road but we've managed to survive it together because when I need you, you're always there. You accept my better moments and my worst moments, and still we stand here today. You're the prince I never expected, and the King of my heart." Blair told him as she took his hand in hers "You're everything to me, but most of all, you're the love of my lifetime Dan Humphrey" she smiled before she leaned in to kiss him.

"Wait, I want full partnership. None of this I'm going to protect you so I'm going to make you feel like crap. I want fifty a fifty split in this, you and me" Dan said as he broke the kiss

"Yes Humphrey" Blair said before she leaned in once again to kiss him

"Schemes included. Whether I'm involved or not, I want to know and not schemed against so I won't find out" Dan told her as he broke the kiss once more

"Humphrey, do you want to construct a contract or construct the possibilities of joining the mile high club once we board this plane?" Blair asked

"Oh well, when you put it that way" Dan smiled as he kissed her.

**_And they lived happily ever after….or so we thought._**

* * *

**Human beings in a mob**

**What's a mob to a king?**

**What's a king to a god?**

**What's a god to a non-believer?**

**Who don't believe in anything?**

**_Radio Reporter: The Upper Eastside is total disarray, with the news breaking on not only the decline of popular designing company, Bendels. It was said that the private sector of stockholders were convinced by an outside influence that had access to the rest of the stockholders to buy them out in a deal that was worth $1.5 billion dollars._**

Looking out at the destruction that was slowly but feverishly emerging from the warmth of a limo seat, The Madame sat with her shades on as Louis could tell little to no emotion as to what she was feeling. Her arrival had been key, but her arrival had brought the playing field down a level that put things in perspective as what was to come for this sanction of New York, The Upper Eastside. Looking back out at the city, Louis could see that they were slowly approaching the city limits to exit as the woman sat diligently looking out at the inhabitants she once called home.

**We make it out alive**

**All right, all right**

**No church in the wild**

_**Radio Reporter: No one has been hit harder than business tycoon, who has reportedly been missing from action due to an illness, Eleanor Waldorf. Certainly with her time away, that left the top spot or the throne vulnerable to such an attack not only to her company but to the stock market that have come to bank on Waldorf Designs as a profitable commodity.**_

Wondering where exactly they were going, Louis could only conclude by the silence in the car that it was an impromptu trip since the plans earlier had changed on her arrival. Not wanting to sound like an impatient child, Louis just sat still, enjoying the comforts of the ride.

**Tears on the mausoleum floor**

**Blood stains the coliseum doors**

**Lies on the lips of a priest**

**Thanksgiving disguised as a feast**

**Rollin' in the Rolls-Royce Corniche**

**Only the doctors got this, I'm hidin' from police**

**Cocaine seats**

**All white like I got the whole thing bleached**

**Drug dealer chic**

_**Radio Host: What does this mean for the fall of Eleanor Waldorf and Waldorf Designs?**_

_**Radio Reporter: Well it could possibly be the end of the business woman as we know it. With such a drastic take down, you can't help but wonder if this was a planned attack with not just how but the amount of money that would make it nearly impossible for Eleanor to buy her way out of this. This is just not her company at risk, this is her legacy that his been under seige and whoever has done this…they have single handedly taken down Caesar and have put themselves as Brutus.**_

Opening up the card, Louis looked on at the gratitude of thanks that the person was sending her way for Belle Fille, which was Beautiful Girl in French, a piece that he had cherished and painted from his own admiration of the girl that he had painted years ago. She had passed it off as her own knowing it would be sold based on name alone from the family he was a heir to, Louis could only sit in amazement with how strategic each move she took. Time had served her well, and he knew that time is only the worst thing to give to one that comes to seek revenge.

**I'm wonderin' if a thug's prayers reach**

**Is Pious pious cause God loves pious?**

**Socrates asks, "Whose bias do y'all seek?"**

**All for Plato, screech**

_**Radio Host: You say the stocks were in a private sector, now from my understanding only certain people have access to this private sector within that company. How is it possible for a complete stranger to get access to stocks that aren't open to anyone outside?**_

_**Radio Reporter: Well it has been reported from some of the board members that the stock was renamed to some as Sledneb, which is just a reversal of the name Bendels. We can only assume that someone fell for this dummy company and purchased stock under an outside account that had access into the private sector, possibly family and possibly the few that are amongst her closest circle. Someone messed up and has now cost Eleanor Waldorf her company.**_

_**[Flashback; Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal; The Story of Us]**_

_**"Internationally, you're only as big as you are in the states now in the magazines. The Madame is looking to buy in on failed companies to acquire them and build them up" Louis said**_

_**"So basically like renovating then selling for full value" Blair concluded**_

_**"You learn quickly" Bex smiled "In that portfolio we're looking into ten companies that we will buy up and we're projecting a year turn around. Now strengthening her resume will only allow the stock of Modern to go up, and expand internationally along with all the other working details that need to be ironed out" she said**_

_**"Who is Sledneb?" Blair asked**_

_**"It's more of an exclusive collection in New York, black card type of thing. They cater to more of the corporations when it comes to accessories" Louis told her**_

_**"Accessories would look good. I'm think cufflinks and all the above when it comes to the perfect business man or business woman attire" Bex said**_

_**"But we want you to look over the portfolio and then get back to us on it. There is a bit of a deadline to buy the stock, but we're sure you can get back to us soon" Louis said**_

_**"Could I share this with my mother's stock broker? I mean I know the little that has to do with my mother's company but even that is minimum" Blair said**_

_**"It would help, but making the moves known that we're interested in certain companies then other companies will get involved because The Madame is linked…" Bex began to say**_

_**"And then they'll drive the prices up along with attract attention from others" Blair concluded**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

_**[Flashback; Trinity: Family, Love, and Scandal; Story of Us]**_

_**"I saw you looking. Don't worry about them" Bex laughed as she sat in her chair "So I greatly appreciate the purchase you made of the sledneb stock" she said**_

_**"I wished I would've got to it sooner, but the human resource department was slow on giving the company card. It was a bunch of run around nonsense, so I just went ahead and purchased on my credit card" Blair said "I hope that was over stepping my bounds" she said**_

_**"No, no. I mean it wasn't idea since that was a heavy amount to pay. Eleanor either gives you a hefty allowance or you save your money well" Bex concluded**_

_**"Well, I save but I used the family account on this one" Blair replied just as Louis made his way inside the office to hand Bex a file. Turning her attention from Blair to Louis, Bex looked on at the file**_

_**[End of Flashback]**_

**I'm out here ballin', I know y'all hear my sneaks**

**Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy, laid beats**

**Hova flow the Holy Ghost, get the hell up out your seats**

**Preach**

_**Radio Host: What does this mean for the landscape of business in the Upper Eastside?**_

_**Radio Reporter: With the Queen falling from her throne, this only means one thing. The throne is now vacated. Every family, whether friend of foe can feel for the Waldorf's but the throne…there can only be one family that reigns supreme. The emergence of family dynasties could come from every corner of New York to lay claim on a throne that no longer belong to The Waldorf's. The Maxwell is now under seige.**_

**Human beings in a mob**

**What's a mob to a king?**

**What's a king to a god?**

**What's a god to a non-believer?**

**Who don't believe in anything?**

The limo came to a stop as Louis looked on at the desert like settings that he found themselves in. Getting out of the car, she was immediately escorted in through the back interest where she would come up her prized package that she had moved heaven and earth to pry from the hands of those undeserving. Directed to stand off in the vacated room, The Madame stood with her dark shades still pressed against her face as Louis could see not one ounce of emotion that was going on with her in this very moment. The buzzing sound of the door opened up before the dark haired girl came walking through with her usual escorts in tow. Freeing her from her shackles, the girl looked up to The Madame and that been the only moment that Louis had come to see the woman's eyes. Folding up her shades as she walked towards the dark haired girl, Louis stood back with intrigue as to what was going on, what looked to be a reunion of sorts.

"Hello Georgina" The Madame said as Georgina rubbed her wrists from where the handcuffs once were "Gratitude would be nice" she then said expecting to hear some sort of thanks from Georgina

"Thank you" Georgina said through gritted teeth before The Madame stepped forward

"This time will be different, I need you to understand that" The Madame told her

"And what makes this time different?" Georgina asked with a bit of smirk

"We do things my way" The Madame replied "My way or you end up behind bars again. I have no room for error, only one shot to restore what is right and avenge what was wrong. Do you understand me?" the woman asked as she looked Georgina dead in the eyes.

"Crystal clear…mom" Georgina said before a devilish smile

**We make it out alive**

**All right, all right**

**No church in the wild**


	23. The Final Author's Note

**The Final Author's Note**

Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed the craziness of this finale and the story in general. Trinity has been a start and stop project due to my own personal feelings with the show, but I've come to appreciate other shows emphasis on The Vampire Diaries as being one of those shows that has helped see me the errors of Gossip Girl, hell even the existence of Gossip Girl. So getting on with it, I will breakdown the finale and give the anticipated answer that you guys have been longing for.

Dan/Blair: So they got the reunion that we have been waiting for. In this chapter, Dan was a bit hard on her because Blair's decision to push him to leave had brought them back to one of the main problems they had as a couple. Dan always felt like he wasn't an equal partner in their relationship and by Blair making the choice for him, it only reminded him of that. Blair's portion of Dan's book was coming to life once again, and ultimately he just didn't want to do the back and forth because if they were supposed to be together then they'd be together without coming up with excuses to better themselves to be together. Hmm, sounds like a couple I know on the actual show. I guess in some way I wanted to shoot at the constant runaround of Chuck/Blair on the show through Dan in this chapter with certain lines because that's how I feel about the Chuck/Blair in real life. I think you shouldn't have to change to be what that person wants, you should all ready be what that person wants and desires no change needed. I wanted to do another flashback montage of the moment to sort of take it back to how it ended in From the Beginning but this time Blair actually catching up with him and going to Paris.

Serena/Sean/Jason: I loved this one because so many of you wanted Jason to get it and I was just thinking you have no idea how he'll get it. I actually got inspired by the Rihanna song "Man Down". I heard the song and I knew the route Serena was going to take, so I was like let's do it. Sean sort of challenges or shows Serena that in order for her to find that love she's looking for, she has to love herself more and that includes walking away from the situation she was in with Jason. I wanted to used most of the lines that Chuck said to Blair to each other in the course of their relationship to show how toxic any relationship can be with those type of statements. Serena's insecurities ultimately kept in her in the relationship but Sean's own admission towards his view of abuse through his own family. So they had a bit of tragic ending.

Chuck/Jenny: Chuck and Jenny started out as the couple that was all happy and lovey dovey, now they're sort of getting to the point where they might not know key details about each other. Kids was something that Chuck wanted then college is something that Jenny wanted, so the real issues of marriage have started to come out for them.

Nate: Nate's dealing with being gay, but at the same time that his family has basically disowned them. I was sort of surprised that no one picked up or mentioned the fact that his own father called him one of the most offensive terms then proceeded to spit on him out of disgust. Nate of course should walk away, but then what characters should do they don't always do. I wanted Nate to have the struggle of trying to his life but just wanting his family to accept him. Sometimes wanting to be accepted allows you stifle what you want because the people that are supposed to love you don't and for him that's hard to admit because we want to believe our families will love us through anything but we don't want to admit that they might not.

Eleanor/Blair/The Madame/Georgina: I went back and forth on what to do with this story because I wanted to put it on Tumblr, then I wanted to post to Tumblr then when complete put on Fanfiction, but this storyline is the saving grace because it was the only storyline that made me truly want to keep my stories where they were on because I'm beyond excited to bring Georgina back and reignite the feud between Blair and Georgina with an added bonus of The Madame that happens to be Georgina and Katie's mother. The Madame will serve as a mother scorned and will basically be plotting to ruin the lives of The Waldorf's like they ruined her life by taking her daughters from without further notice…..THERE WILL BE A SEASON FOUR.

I'm still crafting out Season Four, so I would greatly appreciate your feedback and for you to answer the following in your reviews.

**-Best Break Out Character:**

**-Best "B" Storyline:**

**-Best Heartwarming Moment:**

**-Best Dan/Blair moment:**

**-Best OMG Moment:**

So I hope you enjoyed the story and hope you enjoy the Rough Draft Preview of Season Four. So major spoiler alert. Also I want to remind you that it will be some time before I start the story because I will be shifting my attention towards Niklaus which is a sequel to Monster. So I hope you enjoyed the story and I will be seeing you guys soon :)

* * *

**"Quaternary: The Rise to Power"**

**As long as you love me**

With only the bare minimum of light shining through, they were the shadows that illuminated within in the room. Feeling her heartbeat race at a thousand miles per hour as she rested her forehead up against hers, Dan nipped at her bottom lip in teasing manner before he finally went in for the lips that he craved. Savagely and passionately they kissed as they sat up on the bed with Paris as their back ground to complement the passion they had for each other.

Laying her back on the pillow, Dan wasted no time in devouring her as her moans rang loudly in his ear. Their naked bodies slid against each other as he brought her leg up while his other hand roamed freely over her body. Any portion of her body came under his command as Dan commanded every bit of her, in which she was willing to give. Driving inside of her, Blair gasped as her body felt as if it were overloaded with sensations. Stopping to stay still inside of her for a moment, Blair opened her eyes slowly to see him looking down at her before she quickly leaned forward to capture his lips with hers. Thrusting inside of her, Blair's hand ran wildly over his back as her moans became his only inspiration so that he could make her scream for all of Paris to hear how making love was really about.

**We're under pressure,Seven billion people in the world trying to fit in**

**Keep it together,**

"Are you willing to risk everything? Everything that you've been working for because I know for a fact that you didn't do this!?" Tyler asked as he angrily slammed his hand down on the table that separated Sean and him

"This is my decision" Sean replied

"And it's a stupid one" Tyler quickly replied as a silence came between them "You go through with this, you plead guilty on killing Jason Peters, your life as you know it will be over!" he yelled "Are you that eager to risk it all?…are you that reckless to be the fool in this scenario?" he asked just pulling at straws to try to get some sort of a response out of his best friend that would make sense

"I can't turn my back on her!" Sean yelled angrily as Tyler soon realized that the person he was referring to was Serena.

"….she killed him. You're protecting Serena" Tyler said in disbelief

**Smile on your face even though your heart is frowning**

**But hey now, you know, girl,We both know it's a cruel world**

**But I will take my chances**

"You dethroned The Waldorf's, now what?" Georgina asked as she looked on at her mother standing by the oversized window looking out at the New York skyline. Hearing her daughter, the woman turned to face her before she took a moment to think. "I mean I'm a bit hazy on the after part and where I come in on all of this" she said

"Then we destroy them, limb from limb, no mercy" The Madame replied

"And they say I'm the crazy one. Like mother, like daughter" Georgina laughed

"This has nothing to do with a crazed mind, it has everything to do with revenge. Justice for the daughter that I had to burry and a daughter they put behind prison bars" The Madame replied as her anger slowly began to show "Then we take back what's been rightfully ours from the beginning….our respect" she told her as Georgina looked at her strangely.

"Let the games begin" Georgina said

**As long as you love me**

**We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke**

**As long as you love me**

**I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold**

"I never asked to be in the world of Bass Industries?! I wanted to be in yours and even that I have to schedule these days" Jenny yelled

"Then why stay?" Chuck asked

"Excuse me?!" Jenny asked in disbelief

"I'm still the same bastard, I'm still the same person. Nothing about me has changed. I still am and will always be Chuck Bass" Chuck told her as she just looked on at him not knowing who he was anymore

"You be Chuck Bass but you're about to be a divorced Chuck Bass because I didn't sign up sit idle on this make believe throne while your mother runs our life!" Jenny said before she slammed down her acceptance letter onto his desk so that he could see "And I'm Jenny Humphrey, the girl that will be going to college with or without your approval" she told him before she stormed out of his office.

**As long as you love, love, love, love me (love me)**

**As long as you love, love, love, love me (love me)**

"I did this. I ruined everything!" Blair cried as she rocked back and forth with her knees brought up to her chest

"We will fix this" Dan told her as he took a seat beside

"You can't fix something like this, this is a company we're talking about. A company that she built up and my need to be something I clearly wasn't just cost her the only thing that she's strived for in her life" Blair cried

"I guarantee you, we will find a way to make this right. I have every bit of faith in you" Dan said as he held her face in his hands "You're a fight. Well now, it's your time to fight" he told her

**I'll be your soldier,Fighting every second of the day for your dreams, girl**

**I'll be your Hova**

**You can be my Destiny's Child on the scene girl**

**So don't stress, don't cry, we don't need no wings to fly**

**J****ust take my hand**

"I don't know what type of power trip that your on but this…." Carter said as he pointed to everything in Victrola "This is a partnership, not a dictatorship" he said

"And maybe I should rethink who I do business with" Chuck replied

"You do that but I'm not bowing down to you or any other Bass that walks in here" Carter replied "You're not the only one with money and connections on this part of town" he told him

"Yes all of which has led you to a gambling problem that I just learned recently had Dominic Nicks capitalizing off of Victrola's funds" Chuck said as Carter just laughed before he quickly turned to swipe all of the bottles from the bar so that they fell to the floor breaking into pieces

"Now we both have a problem" Carter said as he walked towards Chuck to show that he wasn't backing down "You want me out, you'll have to kill me because that's the only way I sign over what's rightfully mine" he told him before he patted Chuck on the shoulder as he walked out.

**As long as you love me**

**We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke**

**As long as you love meI'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold**

**As long as you love, love, love, love me (love me)**

**As long as you love, love, love, love me (love me)**

"I know about Los Angeles. I know that you got offered a job at the newspaper" Blair said as Tyler stopped dead in his tracks

"Don't. I stayed behind to help our mother get through the hardest time in her life…I stayed and I tried…" Tyler said as he quickly began to defend his actions

"I'm not trying to reprimand you" Blair said before tears began to form in her eyes "I'm asking you to stay. Stay in New York because I kind of need my big brother to help me fix the mess I've made" she cried "I mean that's what big brothers are for, right?" she asked trying to stifle the tears

"Yeah, that's what their for" Tyler said in a bit of shock to hear Blair refer to him as her big brother and to see how broken she was in this moment.

"Please stay. I need you to stay" Blair pleaded with him

**Yo, B-I-GI don't know if this makes sense, but you're my hallelujah**

**Give me a time and place, and I'll rendezvous, and I'll fly you to it,I'll beat you there**

**Girl you know I got you**

**Us, trust...**

"We're always going to have obstacles in our way" Serena said with her forehead pressed against Sean's as they backed over towards the wall before he quickly helped her relieve herself from her shirt.

"I'm game for anything" Sean told her as his only focus was to kiss her. Capturing her lips with his, Sean lifted her up to where she was straddling his waist before he then removed his shirt to toss to the side.

**A couple of things I can't spell without 'U**

**'Now we are on top of the world, 'cause that's just how we do**

**Used to tell me, "Sky's the limit", now the sky's our point of view (view)**

"Hotshot boyfriend like Dan, you must be fending off girls left and right when it comes to him" Bex said as Blair did all she could to keep herself together

"Like I said, I will do anything just as long as you end this war on my family. Whatever you want, I will give in exchange for my mother to have some bit of peace" Blair said through gritted teeth

"I thought I made it perfectly clear what I wanted" Bex laughed as she walked up towards Blair "One night with Dan and you can consider me an ally" she told her as Blair looked at her in disbelief

**Man now we stepping out like, "Whoa" (Oh God)**

**Cameras point and shoot (shoot)**

**Ask me what's my best side, I stand back and point at you**

**You, you the one that I argue with, I feel like I need a new girl to be bothered with,**

"Just hold on. Hold on, I will get you help!" Dan called out as he tried to keep his required distance that he was instructed to keep as all he could do was hope that Bart was drunk enough to slip off the edge of the building

"I have nothing! My own son took the very company I built, what purpose do I have to live!" Bart yelled drunkenly as he tried to maneuver but found his steps to get a bit wobbly before he let the bottle drop form his hand.

"Bart!" Dan yelled out as he took off running towards the ledge

**But the grass ain't always greener on the other side,It's green where you water it**

**So I know we got issues baby true true true**

**But I'd rather work on this with you**

**Than to go ahead and start with someone new**

**As long as you love me**

"Oh, this is a Kodak moment. The self proclaimed Queen stultified with how her world is falling apart all around her" Georgina laughed

"This will only have same result in the end Georgina…" Blair began to say

"I doubt that. You've pissed off my mother, which is a phrase I never thought I'd say, but no vengeance or scheme can match a woman scorned and hell bent of revenge" Georgina replied

"You killed your sister! I didn't!" Blair yelled "You and your mother are demented to think otherwise" she said as a silence came between them

"You know the fun thing about this go around between us?" Georgina asked as she circled around Blair like a shark does it's prey

"What is that?" Blair sighed as she asked

"You'll never see it coming. All the vultures that are aiming for the very spot your mother once reigned…anyone and everyone has become your enemy. You have so many enemies that you won't even know who and what hit you. I won't have to lift a finger to see the demise. No, all I have to do is wait in the back ground, wait for my opportunity and then once and for all destroy you" Georgina said in a cunning manner that had chills running down Blair's back "I'd start to really question who your friends are because I can assure you, a betrayal is coming your way" she said before she made her way out of the room

**As long as you love me (Love me yeah yeah yeah)**

**We could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke**

**As long as you love me**

"This is a new regime, a new era. An era, in which Bass Industries will be number one with one focus in mind. Now, I'm not my father and I do not choose to implement his way of running things, but I can assure you that I am just as, if not more ruthless when it comes to something I want. Our goal, our focus, our mission is one thing and one thing only" Chuck said as he looked around at the rest of the board members that surrounded him "We go for the Maxwell, we go for the power" he said in a riveting manner that left Elizabeth smiling as she knew her job was only halfway done with what she had in store for Bass Industries herself.

**I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold**

**As long as you love, love, love, love me**

**As long as you love, love, love, love me**

**As long as you love, love, love, love me (I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold)**

Stepping off the elevator, Blair heard a somber silence as she could see her mother sitting in the living room. With a glass of wine in hand, Blair could only remember the hard days at work that would inspire her mother to sit alone in the dark to drink. The only difference this time was that she wasn't a woman that was suffering from a hard days work, she was a woman that had lost it all while enduring a fight for her life. Blair did all she could to keep herself together as she walked towards her mother. For a moment, Eleanor stared off into the empty space as if she could see vividly in the dark while she felt the coldness of the crystal wine glass in her hand. Taking a seat in front of her mother, Blair felt herself reverting back to a childlike state as she hoped to get her mother's attention.

"I know I've let you down, I know that and I get that" Blair told her mother as she began to tremble with nervousness "But I will get your company back. Every bit of fight I have, I will use it to get your company back" she said as tears welled up in her eyes before Eleanor turned to look at her daughter

"Thank you for saying it but I don't believe you…this is a battle that we have lost and we just have to accept this" Eleanor said showing the tears in her eyes

**As long as you love, love, love, love me**

**As long as you love, love, love, love me**

**As long as you love me**


	24. I'm Back :)

Hey everyone it's me again. I hope you all doing good and finding new programs to watch other than Gossip Girl. I have to say that I was happy that they had bad numbers on Monday, wasn't really surprised but I was happy. Though it did have me missing the story and missing the characters. I love the route that Dan and Blair came through and are beginning from Trinity, I was happy Sean and Tyler got such a good reception, I was glad that people were surprised with Georgina's mother reveal, I was happy that people took to Sean and Serena. You guys just made my day with the last chapter and even the responses to the question. I found the results to be as expected, I did my own poll or whatever that came out different.

**Results of the Best Awards:**

**Breakout Character- (winner- Tyler)** mine was….Sean because originally he wasn't supposed to be much bigger than a minimal character that interacted with Tyler. Then I just tried him out in Serena's orbit and the rest was history because you guys took to him so well. Originally Tyler was supposed to come in seeking revenge for what Eleanor did but I thought the best way to write the character was to just show that he was just another person that didn't understand The Upper Eastside world. I loved his dynamic with Blair, and I thought he didn't have to be a villain in the sense of the word but just be what Dan used to be to Blair. Tyler worked well off of everyone, so I guess now that I'm writing out the reason I can see why he was a breakout character but off of the definition of a character coming out of nowhere to be a crowd favorite then Sean.

**Best "B" storyline- (winner- Sean and Serena)** mine was Sean/Serena/ Jason

**Best heart warmer moment- (winner- Dan realizes Blair was the blonde he fell for)** mine was….Dan and Eleanor, when he accepts that she has breast cancer. I liked it because it was genuine. His reaction was to be strong for her because he could cry but being her strength was the most important to him and that just goes with the character Dan is, selfless. On the show and in this story.

**Best Dan/Blair moment- (winner-Dissolution of Courtship)** agreed. I loved writing this scene. I kept cracking up while writing it because Carter and Blair just made the scene for me. I also loved Jenny in this because of the Good Wife reference, its small but I was laughing.

**Best OMG Moment- (winner-Dan sells the ring**) mine was….The Madame reveal. I had crafted the story for the reveal, and it was tempting to just blurt it out because so many of you were like who is she? So I loved having that secret for a while.

* * *

**Season Four Remix:**

So seeing as GG really sucks right now. I decided to come back with the fourth installment. Starting this Monday at 6 p.m. [the time of Gossip Girl for some] this story will be updated and continue to be updated at that time slot for each week. I'm a part of the movement, No Dair No Care, and I wanted to give you guys something to do care about. So look out for **Quaternary: The Rise to Power.**

I have my storylines all ready to go, so I guess I'll let you guys ponder on who matches up to what storyline.

-Someone will regress and progress at the same time to reach their goals.

-Someone will make a deal with the devil in regards to someone they care about.

-Someone will reach their lowest point.

-Someone will flirt with the "dark side"

-Someone's past will come back to haunt them.

-Someone will be presented with the option of betrayal for the sake of the future.

-Someone will suppress their desires.

-Someone will stand in the way of The Waldorf's journey back to The Maxwell.

-One mother will serve to be the craziest of them all.

**Remember, everything from every detail I write could come back in a major way. Expect the unexpected :)**

**See you Monday at 6p.m.**


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